Search Results (1,345)

Rapid population growth is intensifying global energy demand and waste generation. Slaughterhouse waste is creating important environmental problems. Transforming this into renewable energy through technologies like anaerobic digestion offers a sustainable pathway to reduce environmental impacts and support the energy transition. The main objective of this study was to examine the biodegradability of the slaughterhouse semi-liquid fraction (S), slaughterhouse liquid fractions (L), and their mixtures (25%, 50%, and 75%) through a two-phase anaerobic co-digestion (TPAcD) process. Batch reactors were operated in two separate microbiological and thermal phases. In the first, a thermophilic 55 °C–acidogenic stage, biochemical hydrogen potential (BHP) assays were conducted to evaluate green hydrogen production, while in the second, a mesophilic 35 °C–methanogenic stage, biochemical methane potential (BMP) assays were carried out to assess biomethane generation. The most relevant findings revealed that while liquid fractions maximized hydrogen recovery, overall yields remained limited due to competitive metabolic pathways. Notably, the 25L:75S configuration optimized hydrolysis, with a 1280% increase in soluble COD, establishing the semi-liquid fraction as a critical organic reservoir for thermophilic–acidogenic activity. In the subsequent stage, the acidogenic pre-treatment significantly enhanced methanogenesis, where the same 25L:75S mixture exhibited a synergistic methane yield of 495.46 mL CH₄/g VS. This 13.8% improvement over the theoretical additive potential confirms that strategic substrate balancing overcomes individual feedstock limitations, maximizing energy recovery in sequential anaerobic digestion. These results highlight the potential of phase-separated anaerobic co-digestion as a strategy to improve the valorization of slaughterhouse wastes. Full article

The decarbonization of the residential sector is a critical component of the European Green Deal, particularly in transition economies like Poland. This study proposes a comprehensive techno-economic optimization of a deeply retrofitted single-family house aiming for net-zero energy building (NZEB) status. The research specifically focuses on the Polish coastal climate zone, characterized by distinct humidity, wind, and temperature profiles compared to inland regions, which significantly influence the efficiency of air-to-water heat pumps (ASHP). Based on a real-world energy audit, the study simulates the synergy between a deep thermal envelope upgrade and a hybrid system comprising an ASHP, photovoltaics (PV), and battery energy storage (BES). This paper presents a detailed economic analysis of such hybrid systems under the new Polish ‘net-billing’ prosumer mechanism. The study evaluates the impact of electricity tariff structures (flat-rate G11 vs. time-of-use G12w) on the investment’s profitability. By calculating key performance indicators—including the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), net present value (NPV), and self-sufficiency ratio (SSR)—the research assesses various system configurations. The initial evaluation indicates that while deep retrofitting significantly reduces heating demand, integrating battery storage plays a critical role in enhancing economic returns under the net-billing framework. The analysis demonstrates that the optimized hybrid system (9.0 kWp PV + 10 kWh BESS) achieves an average annual self-sufficiency ratio (SSR) of 49.8% and reduces the non-renewable primary energy (EP) indicator to 0.0 kWh/(m²·year). Economically, the investment yields a positive NPV of €3194, an IRR of 5.25%, and a LCOE of €0.184/kWh, which is 34% lower than projected grid prices. Furthermore, switching to a time-of-use tariff (G12w) generates an additional 11% (€139) in annual savings. These quantitative findings provide actionable guidelines for policymakers and investors, confirming the financial viability and environmental benefit (annual reduction of 6.12 MgCO₂) of NZEB standards in coastal areas. Full article

Performance variability in MgO-based cements stems partly from poorly characterized dissolution kinetics of commercial lightly burned magnesia (LBM). Existing studies focus on high-purity materials under acidic conditions, but LBM also dissolves in alkaline conditions, where Mg(OH)₂ precipitation prevents reliable sampling at high pH. We validated pH monitoring against ICP-AES for tracking initial LBM dissolution kinetics across pH 2.0–11.0 and temperatures 25–85 °C. Commercial LBM (32 m²/g, 7.5 wt% CaO) exhibited rates one to two orders of magnitude higher than synthetic magnesia (10⁻⁸ to 10⁻¹² mol/cm²·s). X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and BET analysis revealed enhanced reactivity from poor crystallinity, multiphase composition, and high surface area with textural porosity. Temperature effects peaked at 75 °C before declining due to Mg(OH)₂ passivation. The validated method provides practical guidance for MBC quality control and performance optimization. By providing a rapid, instrument-simple alternative to ICP-AES for reactivity assessment, it lowers the analytical barrier to systematic LBM quality control, supporting the transition of magnesia-based cements from laboratory materials to scalable low-carbon alternatives to Portland cement. Full article

This paper investigates the quality of mobile network coverage along the Riga–Tukums railway corridor with a focus on the performance of 4G and 5G technologies. Ensuring reliable mobile connectivity along suburban railway corridors remains a significant technical challenge due to mixed forest–urban propagation conditions, macro-cell-dominated LTE infrastructure, mobility-induced channel variability, and fluctuating passenger density. Unlike high-speed railway environments that are extensively studied in dedicated 5G-R scenarios, suburban railway systems often rely on existing macro-cell deployments, where coverage continuity, signal quality stability, and capacity constraints must be addressed simultaneously. This study presents a measurement-based evaluation of 4G and 5G radio performance along the Riga–Tukums railway corridor under real operational conditions (50–90 km/h). Classical propagation models (Okumura–Hata and COST231-Hata) are quantitatively validated using MAE and RMSE metrics, followed by correlation analysis between RSSNR and QoS indicators. A theoretical Doppler sensitivity assessment (80–200 km/h) is conducted to evaluate mobility robustness across LTE and 5G frequency bands. Mobility transition regions and handover-related time windows are geometrically estimated, and passenger density-based capacity modeling is applied to assess throughput degradation under peak occupancy scenarios. Based on these results, a multi-layer network planning strategy integrating 700 MHz macro coverage, 1700 MHz capacity enhancement, and 3500 MHz 5G NR deployment is proposed. The optimization strategy resulted in an estimated 22–28% increase in stable service coverage in previously weak-signal zones and demonstrated that propagation model deviations remain within ranges comparable to recent railway studies (≈15–25 dB RMSE). These findings provide a structured framework for suburban railway communication optimization and support the gradual modernization of railway infrastructure toward FRMCS-ready architectures. The study illustrates the applicability of modern modelling tools for assessing and improving mobile communication systems and contributes to the broader development of digital infrastructure within Latvia’s transport sector. Full article

Background/Objectives: The G protein-coupled oestrogen receptor (GPER) has anti-tumorigenic effects in several human cancers. However, its role in prostate cancer (PCa) remains incompletely defined. The present study investigated GPER’s role in targeting the hallmarks of PCa. Methods: Tissue microarrays were used to analyse GPER immunoexpression in PCa samples. Non-neoplastic (PNT1A) and neoplastic (LNCaP, DU145 and PC3) prostate cells were treated with the GPER-specific agonist, G1. Cell viability, proliferation, cell cycle, apoptosis, migration and invasion were evaluated. Glucose consumption, lactate production, lactate dehydrogenase activity and oxidative status were determined spectrophotometrically. Results: GPER immunoreactivity was higher in PCa than in benign prostatic hyperplasia and inversely correlated with PSA serum levels. G1 modulated GPER subcellular location in prostate cells, being detected at the cell membrane, endoplasmic reticulum, and residually in the nucleus. GPER activation decreased cell viability and proliferation, induced cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase, and increased PCa cells apoptosis. Additionally, GPER activation inhibited the migration and invasion of DU145 cells, and long-term exposure to G1 reduced epithelial–mesenchymal transition, an effect not observed in PC3 cells, indicating the importance of cell-specific contexts. Our results also showed that G1 treatment modulated the metabolic profile of PCa cells, changing glucose, amino acids and lipid metabolism. Finally, G1 increased oxidative stress in PCa cells. Conclusions: Overall, this study demonstrated that GPER activation affects a broad range of PCa hallmarks. These findings support an anti-cancer role for GPER in PCa and encourage further exploration of its action in regulating metabolism and as a therapeutic target. Full article

As the automotive industry transitions toward high-level autonomy, the demand for connectivity offering deterministic low latency and high reliability becomes paramount. This paper presents the end-to-end design, implementation, and experimental validation of three advanced Vehicle-to-Everything (V2X) use cases within a real-world 5G network environment: Cooperative Perception, Automotive Digital Twin, and Predictive Quality of Service (pQoS) for Tele-operated Driving (ToD). Trials at the 370-hectare IDIADA proving ground in Spain benchmarked 5G and Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) against 4G and cloud alternatives. Experimental results demonstrate that 5G provides substantial performance gains, achieving average latency reductions up to 90% for V2X messages compared to 4G. The integration of MEC halved the average service latency, consistently maintaining it within the 40–50 ms range required for safety-critical services, whereas cloud-based hosting exhibited uncontrollable fluctuations. In the pQoS for ToD, the implementation of a Network Digital Twin (NDT) and exposure APIs reduced the average video jitter by up to 63%, preventing service collapse in degraded coverage zones. Finally, the automotive Digital Twin (DT) achieved high-fidelity synchronization with temporal deviations consistently below 10%. These findings underscore the necessity of edge-centric architectures and proactive network telemetry for the resilient deployment of future safety-critical mobility services, effectively charting the course for the design of 6G. Full article

Objectives: The transition to complementary feeding represents an important interval in child nutrition and development. Nutrient demands for growth are high, yet less is known regarding how caregivers make decisions regarding the introduction of solid foods to their infants and what influences their choices and feeding practices. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted via Zoom with caregivers (N = 46, 83% mothers) of typically developing children (6–24 months of age) residing in the United States. A content analytic approach, with consensus coding performed by team members, was undertaken. The Developmental Niche framework guided thematic analysis. Results: Four major themes and four subthemes were identified: (1) Caregivers’ Approach Introducing Solid Foods with Anticipation and Concern, including subthemes of the (a) timing and order of complementary foods (CF) offered to children and (b) foods caregivers avoid offering; (2) Caregivers’ and Children’s Learning, including subthemes of (a) children’s rapid learning and skill development, and (b) the concurrent rapid demands for changes in food parenting; (3) Drivers of Caregivers’ Decisions Related to Offering Solid Foods to their Children; and (4) The Goal of CF: Integration of the Child into Family Mealtimes. Conclusions: Caregivers seek to provide adequate nutrition while balancing children’s health needs with the challenge of encouraging acceptance of family foods and respecting individual preferences. Juggling myriad demands (e.g., time, convenience, other family members, cultural traditions, and expectations), caregivers seek to help their children develop a healthy relationship with food. Full article

Background/Objectives: Uterine serous carcinoma (USC) is an aggressive subtype of endometrial cancer characterized by high recurrence rates and poor response to conventional therapies, resulting in unfavorable clinical outcomes. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, has demonstrated anti-cancer activity in multiple malignancies. Methods: This study used two USC cell lines, ARK1 and SPEC2, to evaluate the effects of EPA on cell proliferation, invasion, cell cycle profile, stress response, and apoptosis. The potential synergistic effects of EPA combined with carboplatin were also examined. Western blotting was used to examine EPA’s effects on downstream pathways related to cellular stress, inflammation, and epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT). Results: EPA treatment markedly reduced cell proliferation and colony formation, with IC₅₀ values of 28.96 µM for ARK-1 cells and 14.96 µM for SPEC-2 cells compared with control groups. It also induced G1 phase cell cycle arrest, increased cellular stress, triggered caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death, and suppressed invasive capacity. Moreover, EPA effectively counteracted TNF-α-stimulated upregulation of COX-2 and phosphorylated NF-κB. The combined treatment with EPA and carboplatin resulted in synergistic inhibition of cell viability and migration. Western blotting analysis showed that EPA attenuates the NF-κB and AKT/mTOR signaling pathways, promotes the expression of cellular stress-related proteins, and inhibits the expression of EMT-related proteins in both cell lines. Conclusions: EPA exhibits potent anti-tumor activity against USC cells and enhances the efficacy of carboplatin. These data indicate that EPA has potential as a low-toxicity, multi-target adjuvant treatment for USC, necessitating additional pre-clinical and clinical investigation. Full article

Promoting the agricultural recycling of biogas slurry (BS) is crucial for sustainable development, yet its long-term ecological impacts remain unclear. Through a multi-year field trial in a sugarcane system, this study examined the effects of BS application (0, 3, and 6 years) on the soil properties, bacterial communities, and functional genes for C, N, P, and S cycling. The results revealed distinct two-phase patterns of changes in soil properties, microbial communities, and functional genes. Short-term (3-year) application induced a “disturbance” phase, characterized by significant acidification (pH decreased by 17.91%), a surge in nitrate-N (increased by 757.27%), and a transient decline in bacterial richness. Long-term (6-year) application drove a “functional restructuring” phase, reversing acidification and significantly increasing soil organic matter (29.05%) and total nitrogen (TN) (20.81%). Bacterial richness recovered, and community composition distinctively restructured. Functional gene analysis revealed shifts in gene abundance that transitioned from high abundance in the short term to a new balance favoring processes like N fixation. Co-occurrence network analysis indicated that this functional shift was associated with core microbial modules (e.g., Firmicutes) and changes in soil pH and SOM. This study suggests that, although short-term application causes significant adjustments, sustained and appropriate BS application can ultimately enhance soil fertility and promote a functionally reorganized state by reshaping microbial interaction networks. It presents a microbial ecological basis for the safe and sustainable use of BS in circular agriculture. Full article

The Xinqiao Cu-S polymetallic deposit is located in the Tongling ore concentration area of the Middle-Lower Yangtze River metallogenic belt. The orebodies consist of skarn orebodies and stratiform sulfide orebodies, but the genetic link between them remains controversial. In this study, magnetite was used as a proxy to systematically constrain the hydrothermal evolution from the intrusion to the contact zone and further to the stratiform orebodies. A representative drill hole (E603) was logged, and samples were systematically collected from the Jitou pluton outward to the contact zone. Composite samples from the 8–28 m interval were crushed and prepared as resin mounts for integrated TIMA automated mineralogy, BSE textural observation, and in situ LA-ICP-MS trace element analysis. Five types of magnetite (Mt1 to Mt5) were systematically identified. Mt1 occurs as inclusions within feldspar in the quartz monzodiorite. It exhibits typical magmatic magnetite characteristics and contains grid-like ilmenite exsolution, indicating crystallization during the late magmatic stage. Mt2 is distributed in the interstices of magmatic minerals, commonly showing hematitization and replacement of ilmenite exsolution lamellae by titanite. Its trace element geochemistry displays magmatic–hydrothermal transitional features. Mt3–Mt5 in the skarn and stratiform orebodies are paragenetic with retrograde alteration minerals (e.g., epidote, chlorite, and actinolite) and sulfides, and are characterized by low Ti, Al, and V contents and high Mg, Mn, and Sn contents, indicating a hydrothermal origin. From Mt3 to Mt5, (Ti + V) and (Al + Mn) decrease, while Zn and Mn increase, accompanied by a decrease in the (Si + Al)/(Mg + Mn) ratio. This reflects a trend of decreasing fluid temperature and progressively enhanced wall-rock buffering. The Mg-in-magnetite geothermometer yields relatively consistent results for Mt1–Mt3, but anomalously high temperatures for Mt4–Mt5. This suggests that the elevated Mg activity in the fluid, caused by reaction with carbonate wall rocks, can significantly influence the calculated temperatures. Therefore, this geothermometer should be used cautiously for magnetite in the outer skarn zone and interpreted in combination with other temperature constraints. The textures, paragenetic mineral assemblages, and trace element characteristics of magnetite collectively reveal a continuous mineralization process linking the skarn and stratiform orebodies at Xinqiao, providing robust mineralogical and geochemical evidence for the contribution of Yanshanian magmatic–hydrothermal activity to the stratiform mineralization. Full article

Life cycle greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting is increasingly required to substantiate the climate value of wind power beyond “zero-emission” operation, especially under China’s dual-carbon targets. Robust estimation of life cycle GHG emission intensity and the identification of actionable mitigation levers are therefore important for credible transition planning. In this study, a process-based life cycle assessment (LCA) was conducted for a representative 100 MW onshore wind farm in Gaoyou, Jiangsu Province, China, following ISO 14040/14044. To enhance engineering relevance, the construction and installation phase was modeled in a refined manner by decomposing it into road, wind-turbine, booster-station, and transmission-line engineering and further into unit processes. The results show that the overall life cycle GHG emission intensity of the studied wind farm is 24.6 g CO₂-eq/kWh. Scenario analysis further indicates that reducing curtailment and improving end-of-life recycling are effective pathways to lower emission intensity, while the net advantage of hybrid versus steel towers depends on recycling performance when end-of-life credits are included. The study also summarizes practical implications for low-carbon equipment/material procurement and green supply-chain governance, low-carbon construction and logistics, coordinated “source–grid–load–storage” planning to curb curtailment, and more standardized and comparable life cycle carbon accounting for wind projects in China. Full article

Loss of epithelial polarity is a critical driver of tumor progression; however, how core polarity regulators interface with oncogenic signaling pathways in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains incompletely defined. LLGL scribble cell polarity complex component 1 (LLGL1) is an evolutionarily conserved polarity protein with well-established tumor-suppressive roles in multiple epithelial malignancies. Nevertheless, how LLGL1 loss shapes oncogenic signaling outputs and cellular phenotypes in HCC remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the consequences of LLGL1 knockout (KO) in epithelial-like Huh-7 HCC cells. LLGL1 loss resulted in enhanced proliferative capacity and increased clonogenic potential, accompanied by altered cell-cycle distribution characterized by reduced G1-phase and increased S-phase fractions (p < 0.001). At the signaling level, LLGL1 KO cells displayed potentiated EGFR-driven RAS/MAPK pathway activation, with increased EGFR phosphorylation, enhanced downstream RAF1–MEK–ERK–RSK signaling, elevated EGFR abundance, and selective modulation of RAF1 protein levels. Functionally, LLGL1 loss markedly enhanced migratory and invasive behavior (p < 0.0001). Despite increased motility, LLGL1 KO cells exhibited remodeling of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT)-associated markers without evidence of a classical EMT program. Collectively, these findings position LLGL1 loss as a central factor associated with altered MAPK signaling, EMT marker remodeling, and tumor-promoting cellular phenotypes in HCC. Full article

Semantic change detection (SCD) in remote sensing images aims not only to localize changed regions but also to identify their specific “from–to” semantic transitions. This task remains challenging due to the inherent semantic ambiguity of spectral changes and the presence of pseudo-change noise. While recent vision–language models have shown promise in remote sensing, existing approaches like RemoteCLIP predominantly focus on static scene classification, lacking the ability to explicitly model dynamic temporal transitions. Other adaptations of foundation models (e.g., AdaptVFMs-RSCD) often rely on heavy backbones, incurring prohibitive computational costs. To address these limitations, this paper proposes LGDENet, a lightweight, end-to-end framework that unifies Language-Guided Temporal Contrastive Learning with a noise-robust difference enhancement mechanism. Specifically, we construct a temporal transition prompt learning strategy that aligns visual difference features with textual descriptions of dynamic processes, thereby resolving directional semantic ambiguities. Furthermore, we introduce a Difference Enhancement Module (DEM) that leverages the channel–spatial decoupling property of depthwise separable convolutions to adaptively isolate and suppress irrelevant variations (e.g., registration errors) before feature fusion. Experiments on the SECOND and Landsat-SCD datasets demonstrate that LGDENet achieves state-of-the-art performance, yielding a semantic F1 score ($F_{scd}$) of 87.90% and 88.71%, respectively. Moreover, with a modest parameter count of 33.45 M, it offers a superior trade-off between accuracy and efficiency compared to heavy foundation model-based approaches. Full article

The Golgi complex undergoes dynamic remodeling during the cell cycle, as ribbon unlinking in G2 is required for proper mitotic progression. Failure to fragment the ribbon leads to G2 arrest, whereas forced mitotic entry with intact ribbons results in multipolar spindle formation. Phosphorylation of the Golgi matrix protein GRASP65 at serine 277 (S277) in rat (S274 in human) by JNK2 is essential for ribbon unlinking, but its upstream regulation has remained unclear. Here, we generated and validated a phospho-specific antibody recognizing human GRASP65 phosphorylated at S274, enabling accurate detection of this modification. Using this tool, we identify protein kinase D2 (PKD2) as a critical upstream regulator required for GRASP65 phosphorylation and Golgi unlinking. GRASP65-S274 phosphorylation increases during G2 and is markedly reduced upon PKD2 inhibition or depletion, resulting in decreased Golgi unlinking and delayed G2/M transition. Conversely, PKD2-activating stimuli, including phorbol esters and nocodazole, enhance GRASP65 phosphorylation in a PKD2-dependent manner. These findings define PKD2 as a key regulator of the JNK2–GRASP65 signaling axis controlling Golgi disassembly at the G2/M transition. Moreover, the phospho-specific GRASP65 antibody described here provides a valuable tool to dissect upstream signaling mechanisms and to identify the initial triggers driving Golgi unlinking at G2 entry. Full article

Achieving the EU 2030 target of a 30% CO₂ reduction requires transitioning intercity buses to CNG- or fuel-cell-driven vehicles, and urban buses to electric vehicles. The increasing mass of roof-mounted energy systems, such as battery packs, creates additional loads on the body frame. This study investigates the integration of a welded handrail system into the bus body frame as an additional load-bearing element. A combined approach based on dynamic modeling and finite element analysis was applied to evaluate the structural body response under the UNECE R100 and R110 regulations. The results demonstrate that the structural concept significantly improves the stress–strain state of the body frame. Maximum roof displacements under 5g loading decreased by 34% for the gas-powered model and by 50% for the electric model, enhancing passive safety by reducing window-rack intrusion. Maximum stress decreased by 20%, shifting the stress state below the ultimate strength of S235 steel and preventing rupture. Uniform strength under vertical loading increased significantly (by 58%) due to a more favorable stress distribution within the structure. Overall, the results indicate that integrating a welded handrail truss into the bus body frame can effectively improve structural stiffness and redistribute loads within the frame. Full article