Search Results (31)

A mutation detection strategy based on mismatch digestion was applied previously in barley seedlings carrying the chloroplast mutator (cpm) genotype through many generations. Sixty-one mutations were detected along with four large indels: a 15 bp insertion in the intergenic region between tRNA^His and rps19 genes, a 620 bp deletion in the psbA gene, a 79 bp deletion in the intergenic region between rpl33 and rps18 genes and a 45 bp deletion in the rps3 gene. The present investigation aims to understand the mechanisms producing the large indels and to better characterize the cpm mutagenic effect. Whole plastome sequencing revealed novel polymorphisms that were identified either in regions not previously examined or in regions that were explored but not detected through celery juice extract (CJE) digestion. The 620 bp deletion in the psbA gene was lethal when homoplastomic, whereas the 45 bp deletion in the rps3 gene did not affect the viability of the seedlings even in homoplastomy. The presence of direct repeats at the borders of large indels suggests that they could have originated by illegitimate recombination because of CPM protein malfunction. A truncated mismatch repair MSH1 protein identified in cpm seedlings suggests that CPM is involved in organellar genome stability maintenance. Full article

Ecosystem restoration represents a promising solution for enhancing ecosystem services and environmental sustainability. However, border regions—characterized by ecological fragility and geopolitical complexity—remain underrepresented in ecosystem service and restoration research. To fill this gap, we coupled spatially explicit models (e.g., InVEST and RUSLE) with scenario analysis to quantify the ecosystem service potential that could be achieved in China’s Tibetan borderlands under two interacting agendas: ecological restoration and border-strengthening policies. Restoration feasibility was evaluated through combining local biophysical constraints, economic viability (via restoration-induced carbon gains vs. opportunity costs), operational practicality, and simulated infrastructure expansion. The results showed that per-unit-area ecosystem services in border counties (particularly Medog, Cona, and Zayu) exceed that of interior Tibet by a factor of two to four. Combining these various constraints, approximately 4–17% of the border zone remains cost-effective for grassland or forest restoration. Under low carbon pricing (US$10 t⁻¹ CO₂), the carbon revenue generated through restoration is insufficient to offset the opportunity cost of agricultural production, constituting a major constraint. Habitat quality, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration increase modestly when induced by restoration, but a pronounced carbon–water trade-off emerges. Planned infrastructure reduces restoration benefits only slightly, whereas raising the carbon price to about US$50 t⁻¹ CO₂ substantially expands such benefits. These findings highlight both the opportunities and limits of ecosystem restoration in border regions and point to carbon pricing as the key policy lever for unlocking cost-effective restoration. Full article

CCS/CCUS is considered vital for global climate mitigation, especially in decarbonizing hard-to-abate sectors like upstream oil and gas. In Indonesia, however, its deployment remains limited due to fragmented stakeholder views and lack of integrated policy support. This study explores multi-stakeholder perspectives, including government, academia, business, finance, media, and civil society, on the role and feasibility of CCS/CCUS in achieving the country’s net zero emissions (NZE) target. Using a mixed-method approach, we conducted structured surveys (n = 39) and in-depth interviews (n = 34). Findings reveal broad support for CCS/CCUS but highlight ongoing concerns about economic viability, regulatory uncertainty, and environmental risks. Stakeholders emphasize the need for stronger government incentives and cross-border financing mechanisms. The study underscores the importance of inclusive policymaking, enhanced fiscal support, and integration of CCS/CCUS into Indonesia’s carbon economic value framework to ensure a more participatory and sustainable climate policy pathway. Full article

This paper analyzes the exploitability, economic viability, and impact of fleet-based 5G network extensions implemented in maritime environments, focusing on the Baltic Sea and Mediterranean as a case study. Through cost–benefit analysis and business model validation, we demonstrate how multi-hop 5G connectivity can reduce communication costs while improving service quality for maritime operators. Our findings indicate that implementing vessel-based 5G relay stations can achieve 80–90% coverage in key maritime corridors with a break-even period of 2–3 years. The study reveals that combining vessel-to-vessel relaying with strategic floating base stations can reduce connectivity costs by up to 40% compared to traditional satellite solutions, while enabling new revenue streams through premium services. We provide a detailed economic framework for evaluating similar implementations across different maritime routes and suggest policy recommendations for facilitating cross-border 5G maritime networks and introduce key use cases value creation for network extension. Full article

This publication highlights the strategic combination of the preservation of heritage and innovation for supporting the sustainability of traditional crafts in Europe. Demonstrating both challenges and opportunities faced by artisans, there is a need to balance cultural authenticity and the pressures of current markets and environmental imperatives. The research has explored interventions at three levels of craft practice, education, and training and recommends practical directions on short- and long-term bases. Key findings include new materials and technologies to revitalize crafts, the integration of digital tools in education, and cross-border collaboration, which are considered vital for enhancing the visibility and viability of traditional crafts. The circular economy principles and eco-certifications emerge as key to aligning traditional crafts with global sustainability goals. The analysis also highlights cultural policies and funding mechanisms as a means of encouraging innovation and promoting the resilience of the craft sector. The publication, by weaving together case studies, policy analysis, and strategic recommendations, provides a comprehensive roadmap for stakeholders—from artisans and educators to policymakers and researchers—to ensure that the legacy and relevance of Europe’s rich craft heritage continue. Full article

Integrating artificial intelligence into border control systems may help to strengthen security and make operations more efficient. For example, the emerging application of artificial intelligence for lie detection when inspecting passengers presents significant opportunities for future implementation. However, as it makes use of technology that is associated with artificial intelligence, the system is classified as high risk, in accordance with the EU AI Act and, therefore, must adhere to rigorous regulatory requirements to mitigate potential risks. This manuscript distinctly amalgamates the technical, ethical, and legal aspects, thereby offering an extensive examination of the AI-based lie detection systems utilized in border security. This academic paper is uniquely set apart from others because it undertakes a thorough investigation into the categorization of these emerging technologies in terms of the regulatory framework established by the EU AI Act, which classifies them as high risk. It further makes an assessment of practical case studies, including notable examples such as iBorderCtrl and AVATAR. This in-depth analysis seeks to emphasize not only the enormous challenges ahead for practitioners but also the progress made in this emerging field of study. Furthermore, it seeks to investigate threats, vulnerabilities, and privacy concerns associated with AI, while providing security controls to address difficulties related to lie detection. Finally, we propose a framework that encompasses the EU AI Act’s principles and serves as a foundation for future approaches and research projects. By analyzing current methodologies and considering future directions, the paper aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the viability and consequences of deploying AI lie detection capabilities in border control. Full article

The prediction of the stability of future steps taken by a biped robot is a very important task, since it allows the robot controller to adopt the necessary measures in order to minimize damages if a fall is predicted. We present a classifier to predict the viability of a given planned step taken by a biped robot, i.e., if it will be stable or unstable. The features of the classifier are extracted from a feature engineering process exploiting the useful information contained in the time series generated in the trajectory planning of the step. In order to state the problem as a supervised classification one, we need the ground truth class for each planned step. This is obtained using the Predicted Step Viability (PSV) criterion. We also present a procedure to obtain a balanced and challenging training/testing dataset of planned steps that contains many steps in the border between stable and non stable regions. Following this trajectory planning strategy for the creation of the dataset we are able to improve the robustness of the classifier. Results show that the classifier is able to obtain a 95% of ROC AUC for this demanding dataset using only four time series among all the signals required by PSV to check viability. This allows to replace the PSV stability criterion, which is safe, robust but impossible to apply in real-time, by a simple, fast and embeddable classifier that can run in real time consuming much less resources than the PSV. Full article

In recent years, the global energy sector has seen significant transformation, particularly in Europe, with a notable increase in intermittent renewable energy integration. Italy and the European Union (EU) have been among the leaders in this transition, with renewables playing a substantial role in electricity generation as of the mid-2020s. The adoption of Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) has become crucial for enhancing grid efficiency, sustainability, and reliability by addressing intermittent renewable sources. This paper investigates the feasibility and economic viability of batteries in wholesale electricity markets as per EU regulation, focusing on the dynamics of very different markets, namely the Day-Ahead Market (DAM) based on system marginal price and the Cross-Border Intra-day Market (XBID) based on continuous trading. A novel model is proposed to enhance BESS operations, leveraging price arbitrage strategies based on zonal price predictions, levelized cost of storage (LCOS), and uncertain bid acceptance in continuous trading. Machine learning and deep learning techniques are applied for price forecasting and bid acceptance prediction, respectively. This study finds that data-driven techniques outperform reference models in price forecasting and bid acceptance prediction (+7–14% accuracy). Regarding market dynamics, this study reveals higher competitiveness in the continuous market compared to the DAM, particularly with increased risk factors in bids leading to higher profits. This research provides insights into compatibility between continuous markets and BESS, showing substantial improvements in economic profitability and the correlation between risk and profits in the bidding strategy (EUR +9 M yearly revenues are obtained with strategic behavior that reduces awarded energy by 60%). Full article

Marine protected areas (MPAs) can allow some fish populations to rebuild within their borders in areas impacted by overfishing, but the effectiveness of reserves is highly dependent on how effectively fishing mortality is controlled, which in turn depends on the level of fishery management implementation. In Cuba’s Gardens of the Queen MPA, the largest in the Caribbean, a variety of fishery management measures have been implemented to ensure the social, economic, and political viability of protecting such a large area. Here, we evaluate the biological response, in terms of fish density and the biomass of commercially valuable and ecologically important reef fish species, to a spatial gradient of fishery management enforcement, in terms of fish density and biomass, of commercially valuable and ecologically important reef fish species. The enforcement gradient is characterized by the level of protection, fishing effort, patrolling effort, distance to the nearest fishing port, and fishing intensity. Fish density and biomass were estimated from visual scuba surveys. Areas with higher levels of enforcement support higher levels of average biomass (up to 1378 kg/ha) and density (up to 2367 indv./ha) of commercially important fishes in comparison to areas with very low or no enforcement (estimates of 757 kg/ha average biomass and 1090 indv./ha average density, respectively). These fish density and biomass levels can serve as proxies in the development of harvest control rules that adjust fishing pressure according to the ratio of fished density or biomass to unfished density or biomass, through the use of the MPA Density Ratio method. Full article

Chlorhexidine (CHX) is widely considered to be the gold standard for preventing dental caries. However, it is possible to induce resistance to CHX. The LiaSR two-component system has been identified that contributed to CHX resistance in Streptococcus mutans, which is one of the major pathogens in dental caries. However, the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, an MIC assay and a viability assessment demonstrated that after deleting the liaS and liaR genes, the sensitivity of mutants could increase. The Nile Red efflux assay exhibited that the efflux rates of mutants were significantly decreased. The RT-qPCR results indicated that the LiaSR two-component system-mediating influence on the expression of lmrB in S. mutans contributed to the efflux rate. The hydrophobicity assay and membrane potential assay showed that the mutants had higher levels of hydrophobicity and depolarization, suggesting that their membranes were more easily disturbed. The TEM graphs revealed that the border of the cell membrane was unclear in mutants compared with the wild-type strain, indicating that the cell envelope’s stress response may have been inhibited. While the surface charge of mutants showed no significant difference in the wild-type strain according to the result of cytochrome c-based charged determination. This study provides valuable novel insights into the mechanisms of the LiaSR two-component system in the CHX resistance of S. mutans. Full article

Perinatal and neonatal ischemic stroke is a significant cause of cognitive and behavioral impairments. Further research is needed to support models of neonatal ischemic stroke and advance our understanding of the mechanisms of infarction formation following such strokes. We used two different levels of photothrombotic stroke (PTS) models to assess stroke outcomes in neonatal mice. We measured brain damage, dynamic changes in glial cells, and neuronal expression at various time points within two weeks following ischemic injury. Our results from 2,3,5-Triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) staining and immunofluorescence staining showed that in the severe group, a dense border of astrocytes and microglia was observed within 3 days post infarct. This ultimately resulted in the formation of a permanent cortical cavity, accompanied by neuronal loss in the surrounding tissues. In the mild group, a relatively sparse arrangement of glial borders was observed 7 days post infarct. This was accompanied by intact cortical tissue and the restoration of viability in the brain tissue beyond the glial boundary. Additionally, neonatal ischemic injury leads to the altered expression of key molecules such as Aldh1L1 and Olig2 in immature astrocytes. In conclusion, we demonstrated the dynamic changes in glial cells and neuronal expression following different degrees of ischemic injury in a mouse model of PTS. These findings provide new insights for studying the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying neuroprotection and neural regeneration after neonatal ischemic injury. Full article

The Maghreb population of Emys orbicularis extends over a narrow strip of northern Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia. Our understanding of the presence of this turtle in Algeria, in contrast to Morocco and Tunisia, is quite limited and frequently rests on a few small-scale studies or even reports from a century ago. The present study provides the first complete data on the distribution and level of threat of this species in Algeria. A field survey was carried out based on the data obtained from scattered local reports and available studies that suggested the presence of the species in Algerian wetlands. Data on climatic and habitat preferences, the geographic elevation of inhabited localities, and their conservation status were collected. A total of 45 wetlands were inhabited by E. orbicularis, of which 40 were part of a well-interconnected eastern metapopulation, joined by an extensive hydrographic network. In some places, the species has persisted for over 130 years in the same wetland complex. However, the five remaining populations living in central North Algeria are fragmented, highly isolated, and therefore more threatened. With a few exceptions, turtles inhabit lowlands below 100 m above sea level. Detected sub-populations inhabit mostly stagnant waters (60%), sometimes dams and lakes (24%), and sporadically also slow-moving water bodies (16%). Altogether, the Algerian distribution of E. orbicularis extends to a total area of 2900 km², a 40 km wide strip with a length of 490 km west of the Tunisian border. Although restricted to this narrow strip, the persistence of numerous populations in Algeria, especially in Numidia, testifies to their relatively better conservation status. In order to ensure the sustainability of these efforts, follow-up and monitoring activities should be suggested, with special attention paid to highly isolated populations to maintain their long-term viability. Full article

Lavender is a valued plant due to its cosmetic, perfumery, culinary, and health benefits. A wide range of applications is related to the composition of bioactive compounds, the quantity and quality of which is determined by various internal and external factors, i.e., variety, morphological part of the plant, and climatic and soil conditions during vegetation. In the presented work, the characterization of antimicrobial properties as well as the qualitative and quantitative assessment of bioactive compounds in the form of polyphenols in ethanol extracts from leaves and flowers of Lavandula angustifolia Mill. intended for border hedges, cultivated in the region of southern Poland, were determined. The composition of the fraction of volatile substances and antioxidant properties were also assessed. The conducted research shows that extracts from leaves and flowers significantly affected the viability of bacterial cells and the development of mold fungi. A clear decrease in the viability of bacteria and C. albicans cells was shown in the concentration of 0.32% of extracts. Leaf extracts were characterized by a much higher content of polyphenols and antioxidant properties than flower extracts. The composition of volatiles measured by GC-MS was significantly different between the extracts. Linalyl acetate and ocimene isomers mix dominated in flower extracts, whereas coumarin, γ-cadinene, and 7-methoxycoumarin were identified as dominant in leaf extracts. Full article

Transboundary animal diseases (TADs) pose a serious threat to the sustainability and economic viability of the existing animal agriculture ecosystem in south Asia. The rapid spread of African swine fever and lumpy skin diseases in south Asia must be considered a wake-up call to prevent the entry, spread, and establishment of new exotic TADs, as south Asia has the highest density of livestock populations, and it will have a huge socioeconomic impact. Regional cooperation for the prevention and control of TADs is necessary, but rational decisions should be made to initiate even sub-regional cooperation in the present geopolitical situation. Cross-border collaboration for surveillance, early warnings, and animal movement control should be encouraged on a bilateral or multilateral basis as many countries share a porous border. Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD), peste des petits ruminants (PPR), and avian influenza (AI) have been identified as regional priority TADs, and many regional and country initiatives have been undertaken in the last two decades that need to be translated into action. The incursion of exotic TADs into south Asia has compelled us to rethink overall policies and strategies for prevention and control of TADs. This paper took into consideration six emerging and endemic TADs of viral origin to suggest a future course of action. Full article

There are various legal considerations and rare decisions of courts in western countries concerning palliative care and the border of viability in cases of extremely preterm babies. Nevertheless, on the one hand, regulations and decisions of courts describe the conditions physicians have to accept. On the other hand, courts are also able to accept that every case can be special, and needs a unique answer. Therefore, the framework can be described as well as the medical disciplines, which should be involved in a particular case. Full article