Search Results (974)

Wastewater pathogen and chemical records differ in measurement meaning, sampling frequency, analytical context, and data support, which complicates record-level screening and interpretation. This study developed and internally examined Hotspot Finder, a transparent Python-based framework that represents each eligible record using Level, Trend, Jump, and Reliability scores. Pathogen Level and Trend were mapped from official Government of Canada categories, whereas chemical scores were calculated within compatible analyte, wastewater treatment plant, sample type or stream, and analytical-unit series. Jump represented categorical change from the most recent earlier valid observation, and Reliability represented rule-based evidence support. The final Hotspot score was the arithmetic mean of the four components. The most-recent outputs contained 104 pathogen records and 24,142 eligible chemical records, with mean scores of 61.57 and 53.73, respectively. A Montreal Influenza B record dated 1 March 2026 scored 90.00, while a PFBS influent record dated 10 April 2024 scored 76.25. Sensitivity analysis showed smaller effects from changing chemical Trend-history length than from altering percentage-change categories, Reliability rules, or alert boundaries. The framework provided reproducible calculations, separate pathogen and chemical rankings, and record-level traceability. It supports transparent screening but does not establish clinical, epidemiological, toxicological, regulatory, predictive, or end-user validity. Full article

Apscaviroid nanocitri (citrus dwarfing viroid, CDVd) is a graft-transmissible pathogen that frequently coexists with other citrus viroids and affects tree vigor. This study evaluated the occurrence of citrus viroids in small growers and commercial orchards in Chile and characterized CDVd strains obtained from urban Citrus spp. trees, with unknown propagation history following the discontinuation of the national citrus certification program. A total of 301 samples from five citrus-producing regions were analyzed, revealing that CDVd is widely distributed and commonly associated with Hostuviroid impedihumuli (hop stunt viroid, HSVd). Single infections were the most frequent (41%), followed by double (7.3%) and triple infections (3.0%), indicating that mixed infections are common. CDVd strains from urban trees were characterized using biological indexing on ‘Etrog’ citron Arizona 861-S-1 indicator plants combined with RT-PCR detection and phylogenetic analysis. Symptom development and pathogen detection were evaluated at 6 and 18 months post-inoculation. All graft-inoculated plants developed symptoms consistent with viroid infection, whereas control plants remained asymptomatic. CDVd was consistently detected at 18 months but not at earlier stages, suggesting delayed systemic accumulation. Although Closterovirus tristezae (citrus tristeza virus, CTV) was present in the source plants, it was not detected in indicator plants at either time point, possibly associated with the higher temperatures required for viroid symptom development during bioindexing. The frequent occurrence of mixed infections highlights the epidemiological relevance of viroid interactions and supports the need for reinstatement and strengthening of the national citrus certification program. Full article

Elymus repens (L.) Gould has a long history of use in traditional medicine across the British Isles, particularly among Gaelic and Anglo-Saxon communities, where it has been employed as a diuretic and anti-inflammatory agent. Despite its ethnopharmacological significance, comprehensive insights into its phytochemical composition and biological activities remain limited. The present study aimed to provide an integrated characterization of E. repens through macro- and microscopic analyses, advanced phytochemical profiling, and evaluation of the biological activities of the rhizome part. Microscopic examination revealed distinct anatomical features differentiating rhizome and stem, leaf tissues, supporting accurate identification and pharmacognostic standardization. Chemical profiling using Liquid Chromatography-Quadrupole Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (LC-QToF-MS) enabled the tentative identification of 93 metabolites, including amino acids, in aerial and rhizome extracts. These compounds were primarily classified into polyamines (e.g., feruloylputrescine, hydroxycoumaroylagmatine), phenolic acids (gallic, vanillic, and ferulic acids), flavonoids (apigenin, tricin, saponarin analogues), amino acids (arginine, tyrosine, tryptophan), organic acids (malic, succinic acids), nucleosides (adenosine, thymidine), and phospholipids. Biological evaluation demonstrated that the hydroethanolic rhizome extract exhibited notable antifungal activity against Aspergillus fumigatus (IC₅₀ = 34.9 µg/mL). Additionally, hydroethanolic extracts of both the aerial and rhizome parts showed no cytotoxicity in the Artemia salina lethality assay at concentrations up to 10 mg/mL, indicating a favorable preliminary safety profile. Of particular interest is tricin, which possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, and potential nephroprotective therapeutic effects; its mechanism of action is associated with the suppression of oxidative stress, the inhibition of pro-inflammatory mediators, and the disruption of metabolic processes in microbial cells. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive phytochemical and pharmacognostic characterization of E. repens, highlighting its potential as a source of bioactive compounds. The metabolite profile obtained directly from the biologically active extract, combined with its proven antifungal activity, serves as direct confirmation of the antimicrobial aspect of this plant’s traditional use, while its broader applications in ethnomedicine require targeted pharmacological testing. These findings contribute valuable data for chemotaxonomic classification and future pharmacological investigations. Full article

Soil health assessment is increasingly used to support sustainable land management and agronomic decision-making, but generic indicator lists and universal scoring systems may be inadequate for highly reactive volcanic soils. This critical methodological review proposes an integrated methodological framework for volcanic island agroecosystems that explicitly separates analytical measurement from interpretation. The framework links assessment objectives and site context to fit-for-purpose analytical levels and classifies evidence as method-matched thresholds, local or reference benchmarks, relative or temporal comparisons, mechanistic evidence and plant–soil response validation. The reviewed evidence shows that standardized measurements do not necessarily support transferable diagnostic criteria and that volcanic-soil and andic properties can affect both analytical behavior and the functional meaning of indicator values. Rather than assigning universal scores, indicators are integrated by soil function and interpreted in relation to soil mineralogy, crop requirements, management history, and disturbance or recovery trajectories. This approach helps distinguish intrinsic volcanic-soil properties from management-induced degradation, identify functionally relevant constraints and make diagnostic confidence explicit. The framework provides a practical basis for routine monitoring, targeted diagnosis, and the development of locally validated soil health reference systems in volcanic island agriculture. Full article

Time-series foundation models are designed to continue observed trajectories, whereas model predictive control (MPC) must compare counterfactual rollouts under candidate future actions. A forecaster whose predictions are invariant to those actions cannot rank controls by predicted plant response, irrespective of forecast error. We formalize this forecasting-to-control gap and convert pretrained Chronos-2 into an action-conditioned dynamics model. Chronos-2 Hybrid combines low-rank target-domain adaptation, separate process-history and future-decision pathways, and gated residual fusion. Removing future-decision conditioning degraded action-response fidelity in all ten Quadrotor seeds. In bidirectional transfer between two 660 MW thermal power units, the unit-balanced area under the sulfur dioxide trajectory root-mean-squared error (RMSE) learning curve was 14.95% lower than that of an input-matched scratch model; at 6 and 24 h of target labels, the RMSEs were 29.0% and 18.5% lower. A separate Benchmark Simulation Model No. 1 study showed the same low-budget pattern under long process memory. Across eight outcome independently matched desulfurization system episodes, the normalized emission–effort performance index was 29.8–69.6% lower during strategy-assisted operation. These results identify the action-conditioned interface required to use a pretrained forecaster in MPC and show why forecast error alone is insufficient to assess control readiness. Full article

Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. (chayote), a neglected and underutilized Cucurbitaceae crop widely cultivated across tropical and subtropical regions, has drawn growing interest as a source of health-promoting food components. This review critically synthesizes studies published between 2000 and 2026 on its botanical features, genome characterization, nutritional value, phytochemistry, bioactivities, safety, and food-industry applications, based on literature retrieved from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and the Cochrane Library. Different plant parts (fruits, leaves, seeds, tuberous roots, and peels) contain diverse bioactive compounds, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, cucurbitacins, pectin polysaccharides, and carotenoids. Reported bioactivities include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, cardioprotective, antiproliferative, and geroprotective effects, mediated in part through Nrf2-mediated antioxidant signaling and sirtuin (SIRT1/3/5/6) upregulation. Notably, a systematic meta-analysis demonstrated a significant reduction in serum glucose (MD = −20.56; 95% CI: −29.35 to −11.77) and HbA1c following three months of chayote intake in patients with metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Industrially, chayote has been developed into fermented products, starch- and peel-derived bioactive films, ultrasound-extracted pectin, α-amylase inhibitory seed protein isolates, and probiotic encapsulation systems. Recent genomic work has further revealed a chromosome-level genome assembly, whole-genome duplication events, and a domestication history tracing to Mexico’s Oaxaca region. Collectively, this evidence positions chayote as a promising underutilized resource for food, nutraceutical, and biomedical use, while highlighting key gaps: the need for standardized clinical trials, bioavailability studies, and comprehensive safety evaluation. Full article

Interactions between plants and microorganisms have long been a central topic in biological research. Bacterial symbiosis on leaf surfaces represents a distinctive and mutually beneficial system within the phyllosphere microbiome. Leaf nodules are the visible manifestation of the symbiosis and confer ecological advantages to host plants by enhancing host resistance against pathogens and herbivores. It has been hypothesized that these advantages promote higher diversification rates in host lineages, but this remains uncertain. Ardisia subg. Crispardisia and its close relatives (Amblyanthopsis and Amblyanthus) within Primulaceae are typical plant groups with leaf nodule symbiosis, making them an ideal system for testing this hypothesis. In this study, we conducted extensive sampling of “Ardisioids” (Ardisia and its allies) and reconstructed their phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history using plastid genomes and nuclear datasets (i.e., nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) and genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs)). We clarified the phylogenetic positions of several “Ardisioids” genera (e.g., Sadiria, Tapeinosperma, Amblyanthus, and Amblyanthopsis) and multiple subgenera within Ardisia. We further detected a rapid radiation during the middle Miocene in Ardisia and its allies. Notably, we found that the leaf-nodulated clade appears to have originated during this period, approximately 11–8 Ma. BAMM (Bayesian Analysis of Macroevolutionary Mixtures) analyses revealed elevated diversification rates in leaf-nodulated lineages, while HiSSE (Hidden State Speciation and Extinction) analyses indicated that leaf nodule symbiosis might have increased speciation rates without significantly affecting extinction rates. These results provide strong evidence that leaf nodule symbiosis, together with other abiotic and biotic factors, represents a key evolutionary innovation that has promoted diversification in Ardisia and its close relatives. Full article

Natural fibres, both bio-based and mineral-derived, are increasingly investigated for use in mortar as a means of improving technical efficiency while potentially reducing reliance on synthetic fibres where performance and durability are adequate. This review synthesises mortar-focused evidence across cement-based binders, air lime and natural hydraulic lime binders, gypsum-based binders and clay-based binders, with emphasis on mix designs, fibre–matrix interactions, durability-related behaviours and engineering applications. Across binder systems, the most consistently reported benefit of fibre incorporation is improved crack control and post-crack integrity, provided that fibre dispersion, dosage, and workability are adequately controlled. Some formulations also exhibit reduced measured drying shrinkage, whereas changes in compressive and flexural strength are inconsistent, reflecting the effects of fibre type and content, water demand, density, pore structure and matrix–fibre bonding. Durability is strongly binder- and exposure-dependent. For cement-based mortars, alkaline and calcium-rich pore solution remain key limits for many plant fibres, especially under wetting–drying exposure. For lime-based, gypsum-based and clay-based mortars, chemical attack is generally less severe, but performance and property retention remain sensitive to moisture history, curing path and conditioning. Hygrothermal and hygric effects are conditional and should be considered alongside density, moisture state, pore structure and water uptake. Overall, natural fibres are most convincing when crack control, post-crack integrity, compatibility or moisture-related performance are required, rather than for universal strength or durability improvement. For that, further studies and optimisation are needed. Full article

Long-term crop rotation can improve soil function and crop performance, but it remains unclear whether rotation history can simultaneously alleviate drought-induced oxidative injury in spring wheat leaves and roots. To address this gap, we used a long-term field rotation experiment established in 2016 in the western foothills of the Greater Khingan Mountains. Four cropping systems were selected: spring wheat–potato rotation (R1), spring wheat–potato–rape rotation (R2), spring wheat–rape rotation (R3), and continuous spring wheat cropping (C1). In 2022, wheat occurred naturally in all rotation sequences, and all plots were planted with the same spring wheat cultivar (‘Longmai 36’) to enable comparison among different rotation histories. Drought stress was imposed from late jointing, and at anthesis, ROS-related levels, malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and proline (Pro), as well as the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD), were determined in the flag leaves and roots of spring wheat under normal-water (NC) and drought-stress (HC) conditions. Under drought stress, rotation significantly increased yield (R1 and R2 by 73.3% and 77.7% vs. C1, respectively, partly reflecting the low C1 baseline associated with continuous cropping) and reduced drought-induced accumulation of ROS-related levels and MDA, along with excessive antioxidant and osmotic responses. R1 better protected leaves, while R2 optimized root osmotic regulation. Two-way ANOVA revealed significant drought × rotation interactions for most leaf traits (p < 0.01) but not for root ROS-related levels, SOD, or POD, indicating organ-specific regulation. R1 and R2 show strong drought resilience potential, warranting multi-year, multi-site validation. Full article

This examines the development of the saltpeter industry in Chile after the War of the Pacific (1879–1883), a conflict between Chile and a Bolivian–Peruvian alliance. Chile’s victory meant the annexation of the territories of Antofagasta and Tarapacá, effectively controlling the production of sodium nitrate and the global saltpeter monopoly. Industrial development was reflected through changes in foreign and Chilean capitals, technologies, and work practices. In Tarapacá, the most important investments in the 19th century were British and German. In Antofagasta, Chilean, English, German, and Croatian investments were prominent in the 19th and 20th centuries. And since 1926, American capitals have occupied the spotlight. The dominant technologies were the Shanks system between 1880–1926, the Guggenheim from 1926–1954, and the introduction of Solar Evaporation in the 1950s. Work evolved from manual artisanal labor without legal protection to mechanization under social laws. Saltpeter represented, in the social and economic history of Chile, the rise of the proletariat, communal social movements, a strong labor press, and a series of strikes and massacres. From the saltpeter era sprouted powerful literature, poetry, and music throughout the 20th century until today. The nitrate industry reached its peak between 1881 and 1917. During this period, it had to confront competition from synthetic nitrate and ceased to be the main source of revenue for the national treasury of Chile. This was followed by a period of decline and crisis from 1918 to 1931, the latter intertwined with the global financial crisis. Various state and business measures made it possible for a small number of nitrate oficinas (processing plants and settlements) in Tarapacá and Antofagasta to continue operating until the nationalization of the nitrate industry in 1971. The nitrate industry took place during the first globalization of liberalism, one that brought flows of capital, migration from Europe to the American Continent, changes to marine navigation, and the opening of various markets in Asia, Europe, and Africa. Nitrate became the most effective fertilizer for agriculture and replaced guano in crop production. In order to analyze this topic, we will utilize the results of the main monographic studies, texts used for historical and political context, and works with interpretative theses about specific periods of nitrate production. Full article

Peatlands, critical global carbon sinks, are facing increasing threats from climate change-driven heatwaves and droughts. These threats can cause a midday depression in carbon uptake through photosynthetic inhibition. Using high-temporal-resolution solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (SIF; ~30 s) and chamber-based CO₂ flux measurements, we investigated the coupling between SIF and gross primary production (GPP) during extreme events (air temperature > 25 °C and vapour pressure deficit > 15 hPa) in a northern peatland. Our results show that SIF tracks GPP closely under non-stress conditions (daily R² = 0.86–0.96). However, during combined heat and drought stress, midday correlations collapsed (Case A: R² = 0.04 on 27 June; Case B: R² = 0.15 and 0.01 on 29 and 30 June, respectively), indicating severe decoupling. Importantly, we discovered legacy effects from multi-day heat exposure: on 26 June, vegetation with prior cumulative stress (Case A) showed weak morning coupling (R² = 0.07), while vegetation without prior stress history (Case B) maintained strong coupling (R² = 0.93). This suggests that cumulative stress alters baseline physiology and can exacerbate midday mismatches; therefore, not just current condition controls photosynthetic regulation. These findings highlight limitations of SIF-based GPP estimation at sub-daily timescales during stress, particularly in heterogeneous peatland systems where canopy composition and physiological responses could vary among plant functional types. Full article

Nonlinear mixed-effects models (NLMMs) provide a flexible framework for modeling repeated-measures trajectories. However, how best to forecast future observations, especially at ages well beyond those represented in the data, remains relatively underexamined. In this study, we develop a Chapman–Richards NLMM with a spatial-power autocorrelation structure for irregularly spaced repeated measures and compare three forecasting strategies: (i) population-averaged forecasts based on the fixed-effects component only; (ii) subject-specific forecasts in which empirical best linear unbiased predictors (EBLUPs) of the random effects are obtained via a first-order Taylor series expansion with an iterative Newton–Raphson update, including the case of new progenies not used in model fitting; and (iii) forecasts that combine the population-averaged prediction with prior repeated measures through the fitted autocorrelation matrix. Forecast accuracy was assessed with progeny-level validation under fully held-out and partially observed scenarios, using root mean square prediction error (RMSPE) and mean absolute error (MAE), and was examined as a function of: (i) the number of available prior measures and (ii) the accuracy of the fixed-effects component of the NLMM. The methods were illustrated with repeated-measures data from hybrid spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelmann × Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) progeny trials at three planting sites in British Columbia, Canada, with measurement ages from 2 to 42 years. Subject-specific forecasts had the lowest prediction errors when sufficient prior measures were available and were also the least affected by misspecification of the fixed-effects component. With only two prior measurements, autocorrelation-based forecasts had the lowest or tied-lowest observed errors, although differences among the three approaches were small. Using all measurements taken before age 42, subject-specific forecasts of height at age 42 achieved an RMSPE of 0.50 m. With only two prior measurements, the corresponding RMSPEs were approximately 1.31–1.33 m across the forecasting approaches. Although demonstrated with a single hybrid spruce dataset from three planting sites, the comparison is, in principle, applicable to other repeated-measures settings in which long-horizon predictions are required from short observation histories; broader applicability remains to be confirmed. Full article

Integrated qiaopi office–residence heritage preserves the material setting of remittance-letter operations together with domestic, educational, and ritual activities. In Lingnan’s hot–humid and disaster-prone environment, condition records need to be repeatable, spatially traceable, and continuously updatable. Taking Jingzu Jiashu and Mingde Jiashu, two former qiaopi office sites in Chaoshan, as case studies, this research develops an evidence-traceable digital conservation workflow integrating multi-source documentation; an adopted YOLOv8 surface-deterioration baseline; qualitative Grad-CAM visualization; structured deterioration records; and semi-automatic, human-confirmed Revit/HBIM association. UAV and terrestrial photography, mobile LiDAR/scanning, handheld measurement, measured drawings, point-cloud and reality-based products, and geometric models were organized into case-specific HBIM environments. The adopted deterioration dataset comprised 362 original images at 512 × 512 pixels and 2024 bounding-box annotations for five visually identifiable categories: spalling, staining, plants, saltpetering, and crack. The original images were divided into 253 training, 72 validation, and 37 independent-test images, while augmentation was restricted to the training subset, increasing the training pool to 1600 images. The previously established YOLOv8 baseline achieved a Precision of 0.85, Recall of 0.72, mAP50 of 0.83, and mAP50–95 of 0.58. Grad-CAM heatmaps were used as qualitative aids to examine model-emphasized image regions. Retained detections associated with Jingzu Jiashu and Mingde Jiashu were converted into versioned records containing source-image identifiers, deterioration classes, detector confidence, survey information, spatial references, verification states, and revision histories. Candidate spatial associations were generated through case identifiers, façade or space zones, element identifiers, and available spatial evidence, while final M1–M3 associations required human confirmation. By preserving source provenance, spatial uncertainty, and record histories, the workflow provides an auditable information basis for routine inspection, post-event review, maintenance prioritization, repair interpretation, and resilience-oriented preventive conservation. The workflow supports screening-level deterioration recognition and information management but does not provide causal diagnosis, structural assessment, exact affected-area measurement, building-independent generalization, or automatic repair recommendations. Full article

Konjac glucomannan (KGM) is a plant-derived polysaccharide with a long history of food use and a rapidly expanding portfolio of biomedical applications. Yet despite decades of research, translation of KGM-based materials from laboratory proof-of-concept to clinical and commercial products remains slow, hampered by unresolved structural controversies, batch-to-batch variability, and a lack of quantitative design rules. This review provides a critical, mechanism-focused analysis of KGM across its molecular architecture, extraction and modification, and translational applications, moving beyond cataloguing uses to evaluate conflicting findings in the literature. We examine how hierarchical structural features—molecular weight, acetylation pattern, and chain topology—govern solution behavior, gelation, and biological performance, and compare KGM with competing biopolymers to define its unique advantages and inherent limitations. Current progress in colon-targeted delivery, wound healing, microbiome modulation, and metabolic health is synthesized, and persistent barriers to translation are evaluated, including the absence of quantitative structure–activity models, limited human pharmacokinetic data, and incomplete toxicological characterization of modified derivatives. We also address longstanding debates over branching frequency, acetylation distribution, and dose–response relationships that have generated inconsistent results across studies. Finally, we outline a research agenda integrating computational polymer design, multi-omics mechanistic studies, and precision nutrition to support development of next-generation KGM biomaterials. Full article

Fruit and vegetable by-products can be interpreted more usefully as postharvest crop-derived tissue fractions than as generic waste streams or sources of recoverable compounds. This integrative review synthesizes evidence on plant tissues, postharvest quality, stabilization, safety, and analytical characterization to develop a tissue-to-raw-material framework for plant-based food development. The framework begins with crop source, cultivar or maturity, organ/tissue identity, and postharvest history, and then links these variables to stabilization, safety screening, analytical evidence, intended-use specifications, and route assignment. Brassicaceae crops—including napa cabbage, radish, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower—serve as representative cases because their leafy, root, stem, core, stalk, and trimming fractions differ in water status, tissue fragility, sulfur-related traits, sensory constraints, and stabilization needs. Application suitability is therefore assessed from tissue identity, postharvest condition, stabilization history, safety status, and intended-use specifications rather than compound richness alone. Within this framework, zero-waste development means assigning a documented tissue fraction to a supported food, fermentation, coating/film, or selected secondary-material route, while using lower-risk assignment, downgrading, or exclusion where traceability, safety, stability, or specification evidence remains insufficient. Full article