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This paper investigates whether transcendent worldviews—those oriented toward a beyond—decline while immanent worldviews—those oriented toward this world—increase. We draw on an inventory spanning positions from theism and deism to naturalism and existentialism, administered seven times in West Germany (1982–2023) and six times in East Germany (1992–2023). In West Germany, existentialist worldviews ranked first, followed by naturalist, theist, and deist ones. While existentialist worldviews remained stable, transcendent worldviews declined and immanent ones grew, producing a substantial and growing advantage for immanent over transcendent orientations. In East Germany, existentialist and naturalist worldviews were markedly dominant, well above transcendent ones throughout the observation period. Both remained stable, while transcendent worldviews increased only minimally, leaving the gap largely intact. To test whether these period effects persist under controls, we employ OLS regressions with robust standard errors, accounting for cohort, age, church attendance and belonging, community size, parenthood, work engagement, education, and gender. In West Germany, transcendent worldviews declined and immanent ones increased non-monotonically. In East Germany, the pattern reversed: transcendent worldviews increased and immanent ones decreased non-monotonically. While mean levels do not differ significantly between the two regions, the direction and structure of effects do. The discussion addresses why transcendent worldviews are better explained than immanent ones, and what accounts for the divergent trajectories between East and West Germany. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religions and Society: Between Navigating Secularism and Lived Religion)

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43 pages, 1808 KB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Real-Time Traffic Management in Smart Cities: A Systematic Literature Review of Application Paradigms, Control Architectures, and Implementation Barriers

by Asmae Dribi, Mohamed Essaaidi, Ghezlane Halhoul Merabet, Junaid Qadir and Driss Benhaddou

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(12), 6241; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16126241 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Smart Mobility plays a key role in Smart Cities, given its ability to support the rollout of intelligent transport systems, allowing for more sustainable urban transportation and greater interoperability across diverse mobility modes. Furthermore, Smart Mobility is essential to maximize the quality of life for the community while advancing principles of sustainability, economic development, technological innovation, and collaborative governance. Real-Time Traffic Management (RTTM) emerges as a vital technology for optimizing traffic management in Smart Mobility. Using the PRISMA framework, the proposed systematic literature review examines 165 peer-reviewed publications related to RTTM research work published between 2019 and 2025. This review identified eleven application domains, with Urban Traffic Management Systems (36.97%) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Predictive Analytics (12.73%) representing the most prominent areas. A retrospective analysis of the literature on control architecture used in closed-loop feedback systems indicates that most studies (89%) have adopted a more dynamic control model, while 7.8% adopted a Digital Twin (DT)-based approach. However, several implementation barriers persist, including limited integration of online optimization and learning loops into RTTM systems, gaps in performance comparisons between simulation and reality, scalability issues due to heterogeneous environments, inconsistent data quality caused by various sensor types, and difficulties integrating sensors into a control system. In addition, this paper proposes a taxonomy of RTTM applications and control architectures, while outlining key practical barriers to implementation and charting future research directions for advancing Smart Mobility through robust RTTM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Towards Sustainable and Intelligent Urban Ecosystems: Advanced IoT Architectures and Applications for Smart Cities)

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18 pages, 914 KB

Open AccessArticle

Fractal Characteristics of Coal Structure and Fluid Transport During Compression Failure Process

by Teng Teng and Wang Yuming

Fractal Fract. 2026, 10(6), 421; https://doi.org/10.3390/fractalfract10060421 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

The fractal characteristics of coal pore–fracture networks and their evolution under compression are essential for predicting rock mass failure and fluid transport. This study combines micro-CT scanning with fractal theory and seepage mechanics to investigate the structural evolution of coal under uniaxial compression and its impact on fluid transport. CT scans were performed at four characteristic stages (initial, elastic, plastic, and failure) to reconstruct three-dimensional fracture networks. Quantitative analysis reveals that fracture porosity increases sequentially from 0.44% to 5.01%, with the failure stage reaching 11.4 times the initial value. Fracture length and aperture distributions follow power-law scaling, and their fractal dimensions exhibit distinct evolution patterns: length dimension increases from 2.43 to a peak of 2.56 in the plastic stage and then drops to 2.47 at failure, while aperture dimension decreases from 2.29 to a trough of 2.12 before rebounding to 2.26. These patterns reflect a dynamic adjustment of network complexity, transitioning from primary fractures to micro-fracture dominance and finally to main fracture coalescence. Based on the Knudsen number, three diffusion regimes of Fick, transition and Knudsen are identified. A fractal permeability model is developed by idealizing the pore space as tortuous capillaries, showing that permeability scales with the fourth power of the maximum pore diameter and is positively influenced by the fractal dimension and the number of large pores. Furthermore, a coupled seepage–stress model is derived, incorporating pressure transmission, shear transmission, and crack opening coefficients. The damage variable is expressed as a function of stress level and fractal dimension. These findings provide theoretical support for predicting gas transport and failure behavior in coal under coupled hydro-mechanical conditions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Fractal and Fractional Modelling in Deep Mining and Geomechanics)

21 pages, 5521 KB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Fault Type Identification for Distribution Networks with Distributed Power Sources Based on Improved CNN-BiGRU

by Lei Li and Weili Wu

Sensors 2026, 26(12), 3947; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26123947 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

The integration of distributed generation (DG) changes the fault current path, magnitude, direction, and transient characteristics of distribution networks, which increases the difficulty of fault type identification. In particular, weak fault features and high-frequency transient components may reduce the reliability of traditional feature-based diagnosis methods. To improve the representation and classification capability of fault signals, this paper proposes a fault type identification method based on wavelet packet transform and an improved CNN-BiGRU model with a channel attention mechanism. First, three-phase voltage, three-phase current, and zero-sequence voltage signals are decomposed by wavelet packet transform, and the corresponding time–frequency matrices are constructed. Then, these matrices are integrated and converted into time-frequency images, so that multi-source fault information can be represented in a unified form. On this basis, CNN is used to extract local spatial features from the time-frequency images, while BiGRU is employed to capture bidirectional dependency information of fault features. Furthermore, a channel attention mechanism is introduced to enhance informative feature channels and suppress redundant information, thereby improving the fault classification performance. Simulation results based on a 10 kV DG-integrated distribution network show that the proposed method achieves high recognition accuracy under different DG capacities and access configurations. Compared with CNN, BiGRU, and CNN-BiGRU models, the proposed CNN-BiGRU-Attention model shows better classification accuracy and adaptability, demonstrating its effectiveness for fault type identification in active distribution networks. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Sensing Technologies for Grid Monitoring, Protection, and Control)

21 pages, 3236 KB

Open AccessArticle

Retroviruses and Cancer: Coevolution and Genetic Exchanges Between the Viral and the Host Genomes

by Xuhua Xia

Biology 2026, 15(12), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15120972 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Retroviruses, after their genomes are integrated into the host genome, replicate through host cell replication. In this hitchhiking phase, their only way of increasing their fitness is to encourage the host cell to have unregulated, rapid cell replication. The v-Src gene in avian sarcoma virus and the v-sis gene in the simian sarcoma virus were originally mined from the host genome by the virus to increase host cell replication rate, with the corresponding host cellular counterparts c-Src (non-receptor tyrosine kinase) and c-sis (platelet-derived growth factor). The resulting out-of-control replication ultimately would lead to cancer. The battle between the host and the retroviruses left many retroviral corpses known as endogenous retroviruses, and the host occasionally domesticates retroviral genes. The syncytins (whose fusogenic function is crucial for the trophoblast fusion and the formation of a syncytium during placenta morphogenesis) and suppressyn (which serves the dual function of regulating syncytialization and host resistance against retroviruses) are examples of successful domestication. Syncytin-1 and suppressyn have each been “domesticated” independently multiple times by different mammalian lineages. Molecular phylogenetics is an essential tool for tracing the evolutionary trajectories of such genetic exchanges between retroviruses and their hosts and for determining the direction of the genetic exchange. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Infection Biology)

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25 pages, 19868 KB

Open AccessArticle

Development of a Gravity Mixer for Energy-Efficient Mixing of Sapropel and Organic Fertilizers

by Tokhtar Abilzhanuly, Daniyar Abilzhanov, Marat Aldabergenov, Nursultan Orynbayev, Sergey Sakhnov, Olzhas Seipataliyev and Dauren Kosherbay

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(12), 6239; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16126239 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

The high energy consumption of conventional mixers equipped with active mixing elements necessitates the development of more efficient technologies for mixing bulk materials and feed mixtures. This study presents a gravity-driven mixing approach based on the rotation of an inclined cylindrical chamber, eliminating the need for active mixing elements. During chamber rotation, the mixture components move toward both end walls while simultaneously undergoing a circular motion along the inner cylindrical surface. This movement intensifies the mixing process and reduces energy consumption, thereby providing an energy-efficient gravity-based mixing approach that operates without active mixing elements. Laboratory experiments were conducted to determine the key physical and mechanical properties of the sapropel, organic fertilizer, and compound feed (formulation K-60-1). The measured values were as follows: velocity on an inclined steel surface, 0.65–1.21 m/s; coefficient of friction, 0.40–0.91; bulk density, 453–1166 kg/m³; and angle of repose, 36–39°. The experimental results confirmed the validity and adequacy of the developed analytical relationships. A structural and technological design of the gravity mixer was developed, and an experimental prototype was manufactured. Analytical relationships were obtained to determine the critical rotational speed of the chamber, particle movement velocity, and the power required for the mixing process. Under optimal operating conditions, the mixture uniformity reached 95.7% after 4 min of mixing. The mixer productivity was 0.95 t/h, while the specific energy consumption was 0.5 kWh/t, which is 2.5 times lower than that of conventional mixers equipped with active mixing elements. The obtained results confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed gravity-based mixing method for the preparation of feed and organomineral mixtures under the operating conditions of small-scale farms. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic New Research on Automated and Efficient Agricultural Machineries)

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19 pages, 1395 KB

Open AccessReview

Genetic Diversity in Vitis vinifera L. Beyond the Reference Genome: Towards a Pangenomic Framework for Representation, Adaptation and Breeding

by Francesca Fort, Leonor Deis, Qiying Lin-Yang, Joan Miquel Canals and Fernando Zamora

Horticulturae 2026, 12(6), 756; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae12060756 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

The growing availability of genomic resources is changing how genetic diversity is studied in Vitis vinifera L. At the same time, it has become increasingly clear that a single reference genome cannot fully represent the complexity of a species characterised by high heterozygosity, clonal propagation and a long history of diversification. Recent grapevine pangenomes, super-pangenomes and graph-based resources have revealed forms of variation that are often overlooked in conventional reference-based analyses, including structural variants and gene presence–absence variation. Rather than providing another inventory of available datasets, this review examines how continued reliance on a single reference genome may influence the interpretation of grapevine diversity and what can be gained from a broader pangenomic perspective. Drawing on recent studies in grapevine and other crops, we discuss how these approaches are beginning to improve the representation of genetic diversity, uncover biologically relevant variation and strengthen links between genomic information and adaptive traits. We also examine the challenges that still limit their practical use, particularly the integration of genomic resources with functional studies and breeding programmes. In the end, the value of pangenomics will probably depend not only on generating additional genomic resources, but also on how effectively these can be translated into tools that support grapevine conservation, climate adaptation and varietal improvement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Genomics, Genetic Diversity and Breeding Strategies of Grapevine)

21 pages, 533 KB

Open AccessArticle

by Anastasia Karagiannaki, Vasiliki Michou, Evangelia Antoniou, Menelaos Zafrakas and Panagiotis Eskitzis

Medicina 2026, 62(6), 1196; https://doi.org/10.3390/medicina62061196 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Quality of life (QoL) is an important issue for breast cancer (BC) survivors. The objective of this study was to assess health-related QoL (HRQoL) of BC patients and investigate the impact of different demographic and clinical factors on physical and social functioning and BC-related symptoms. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 107 BC patients undergoing chemotherapy in Greece completed a questionnaire collecting sociodemographic and clinical information and the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire–Core 30 (EORTC QLQ-C30) in order to assess HRQoL. Descriptive statistics and multiple linear regression analyses were used to identify factors linked to HRQoL outcomes. Results: Overall, participants reported moderate HRQoL, with high physical and social functioning and moderate emotional, cognitive, and role functioning. Fatigue was the most common symptom, whereas other symptoms were generally uncommon. Multiple regression analyses showed that marital status, place of residence, time since diagnosis, and type of surgery were significantly associated with the global QLQ-C30 score (R² = 0.337, p < 0.001). Physical functioning was associated with comorbidity burden, time since diagnosis, and employment status (R² = 0.155, p = 0.035), and social functioning with marital status and type of surgery (R² = 0.171, p = 0.011). Emotional functioning showed exploratory associations with place of residence and type of surgery; however, the overall regression model for emotional functioning did not reach statistical significance. No symptom model reached overall significance, but time since diagnosis, treatment type, and surgery were linked to distinct symptoms. Conclusions: BC patients undergoing chemotherapy in Greece report an overall moderate level of HRQoL, which is significantly influenced by a combination of demographic and clinical factors; physical and social functioning were high, with moderate emotional, cognitive, and role functioning. These findings highlight the importance of individualized supportive care strategies in order to improve QoL of BC patients. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue New Developments in Diagnosis and Management of Breast Cancer)

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24 pages, 4627 KB

Open AccessArticle

A State Space Model-Driven Feature Disentanglement Network for Real-Time Detection of Morphologically Complex Insect Pests in Agricultural Fields

by Jiaren Sun, Yating Jiang, Shuai Teng, Zongchao Liu and Nuo Chen

Modelling 2026, 7(3), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/modelling7030122 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Accurate detection of field insect pests remains a significant challenge for precision agriculture due to the elongated and variable morphology of the target organisms, their frequent resemblance to complex background textures, and the long-tail distribution of species in natural datasets. While deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have advanced the field, they are often constrained by a limited effective receptive field and the entanglement of semantic and spatial features, which can lead to elevated false-positive rates and missed detections for low-contrast or rare targets. This paper introduces a novel detection framework that integrates state space modeling with multi-stream feature disentanglement to address these limitations. First, a visual state space module is employed as the backbone feature extractor, enabling the establishment of a global receptive field with linear computational complexity and thereby improving the perception of long-range morphological structures. Second, a Topological Feature Disentanglement Pyramid Network is proposed. This architecture explicitly separates feature representations into semantic and spatial streams and recombines them through graph convolutional interactions, which serves to suppress background interference and enhance localization precision. A meta-auxiliary detection head, active only during training, is introduced to amplify supervision signals for hard, low-contrast samples via adversarial gradient modulation. Furthermore, an implicit neural radiance field augmentation pipeline is used to generate physically consistent synthetic views of underrepresented pest classes, mitigating the negative effects of long-tail data distributions. Experimental evaluations on the public BAU-Insectv2 benchmark demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a mean average precision (mAP@0.5) of 81.8%, representing a 4.4-percentage-point improvement over a comparable baseline, while maintaining a compact parameter count of 2.33 M and an inference speed of 178.6 FPS. The framework exhibits particular efficacy in detecting elongated, minute, and rare pests, suggesting a promising technical approach for real-time, field-based pest surveillance in precision agriculture. Full article

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23 pages, 603 KB

Open AccessArticle

Empowering Rural Women for Food Security: Evidence from Pig Production in Post-Conflict Colombia

by Leidy Carolina Ortiz-Araque, Ingrid Paola Quintana-Leal, Sandra Milena Montesino-Rincón, Ana Milena Salazar-Beleño and Oscar Orlando Porras-Atencia

Societies 2026, 16(6), 196; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc16060196 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Female empowerment in post-conflict rural contexts is strategic for food security and socioeconomic resilience. This study analyzed the relationship between women’s productive empowerment and food security in 40 rural women involved in pig production in Santa Rosa del Sur, Bolívar, Colombia. A mixed approach with a descriptive–exploratory design and longitudinal scope was used. Data collection employed adapted versions of the Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index (A-WEAgI) and the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS), alongside participant observation and reflective thematic analysis. Quantitative data were analyzed via descriptive statistics and Spearman correlation. The baseline revealed low empowerment regarding income, resources, technical capacities, and time. The global A-WEAgI reached 21%, while HFIAS showed moderate food insecurity in 52% of households. Spearman analysis (CS) indicated moderate negative correlations between food insecurity and income (CS = −0.56), access to resources (CS = −0.51), and technical capacities (CS = −0.49), suggesting that greater women´s empowerment was associates with lower food insecurity. Post-intervention, improvements occurred in technical skills, leadership, and organizational participation. Qualitative findings showed increased confidence in Agroindustry activities, though limitations in economic autonomy, commercialization, and domestic workloads persisted. Gender-focused rural strategies enhance productive capacities and food resilience; however, structural barriers related to economic autonomy and gender inequality persist. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability Competencies in Complex Contexts: Educational Approaches with Gender and Human Development Perspectives)

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22 pages, 5863 KB

Open AccessArticle

Modelling the Hydrological and Flooding Behavior of a Caribbean Basin Merging Satellite Rainfall Data and Field Data

by Andrea Gianni Cristoforo Nardini, Giacomo Pellegrini, Luca Mao, Yoiner Ariza, Fayder Herrera, Jairo René Escobar Villanueva and Emirielys Andrea Ospino Navarro

Water 2026, 18(12), 1527; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18121527 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

The Tomarrazón-Camarones Basin (La Guajira, Colombia) is characterized by frequent, widespread flooding and, anthropogenically, by intense instream sediment mining. Mapping flood hazard is hence essential to develop effective flood management plans, and a knowledge of the water regime (duration curves) is also essential to estimate sediment transport and carry out sediment budgets to inform on the impacts and sustainability of the mining activity. However, neither water levels nor discharges are monitored by official gauging stations, and only a few rainfall gauging stations are available in the area, with daily records often affected by data gaps. Therefore, a first challenge is to reconstruct discharge time series by an affordable effort, scaled to the financial-labour resources available in that challenging context. This paper presents an integrated approach that combines satellite-derived rainfall data with ground observations. A semi-distributed hydrological model (HEC-HMS, SCS-CN method) is used to reconstruct the full flow-rate time series once calibrated and validated with data derived from automatic sensors and field measurements. The model is fed with hourly data derived from daily data at ground gauging stations temporally downscaled by adopting the spatially distributed hourly rainfall patterns obtained from satellite records. Before that, observed water levels in three stations equipped with water level sensors were translated into discharge time series using analytical relationships based on field-measured geometric and physical characteristics. Then, these event-based hydrographs were used to calibrate and validate the model. Results show good agreement with observations, with R² = 0.981 and a relative RMSE of 40% for overall hydrograph reproduction, and R² = 0.87 for peak flow estimation, supporting a reasonable confidence in the approach. The calibrated model is then applied to long-term datasets (1973–2024) to retrieve duration curves and return periods of peak discharges. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Climate Change and Hydrological Processes, 3rd Edition)

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23 pages, 9860 KB

Open AccessArticle

Investigation on the Bonding Behavior of the Strand–Grout Interface in Ground Anchors

by Bum-Hee Jo, Dae-Jin Gwak and Sung-Ha Baek

Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(12), 6238; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16126238 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Although the long-term behavior of ground anchors depends fundamentally on interfacial behavior, the independent effect of the strand–grout interface on load loss has not been comprehensively investigated. This study establishes a physical model testing method that isolates the strand–grout interface and systematically investigates [...] Read more.

q_{u}

= 18–30 MPa) and bond length (

L_{b}

= 900–1500 mm) as primary design variables. Long-term monitoring confirmed that prestress loss at the strand–grout interface is induced by the progressive pull-out displacement of the strand over time, following a logarithmic decay pattern. The load reduction coefficient n was significantly more sensitive to

L_{b}

than to

q_{u}

; n increased sharply from 0.015 to 0.069 as

L_{b}

decreased. Anchors with insufficient bond length exhibited secondary load reduction behavior that disrupted the stable log-linear decay, posing significant risk to long-term performance. Based on RMSE analysis of the fitted logarithmic model, a minimum monitoring period of approximately 50 days is recommended for reliable long-term prediction when bond length is adequate. These findings identify

q_{u}

and

L_{b}

as the governing parameters, providing a quantitative basis for optimizing prestress design and enhancing the long-term reliability of anchor systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Civil Engineering)

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25 pages, 14839 KB

Open AccessArticle

Preliminary In Vitro Screening of Structure-Dependent β-Hydroxybutyrate Responses to Dietary Fatty Acids in Hepatocyte Models

by Xiaojing Liu, Fei Pan, Yandan Wang, Wei Wei, Jun Jin, Xingguo Wang and Zhe Cui

Nutrients 2026, 18(12), 2021; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18122021 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Controlled comparisons of extracellular β-hydroxybutyrate (β-HB) responses induced by individual dietary fatty acids (FAs) remain limited. This study established a preliminary hepatocyte-derived in vitro assay for comparing FA-associated β-HB responses and used exploratory descriptor-based modeling for hypothesis-generating FA ranking. Methods: Dose- and time-dependent extracellular β-HB accumulation induced by nineteen dietary FAs was quantified in HepG2 and AML12 cells under nutrient-deprived assay conditions. For exploratory descriptor-based modeling, the 19-FA HepG2 dataset was split into 15 training compounds and four held-out compounds. Model stability was further assessed using repeated random splits, LOOCV, permutation testing, MCFA sensitivity analyses, and simple structural baseline models. Four additional structurally related FAs were tested only for preliminary experimental ranking assessment, not as an independent external test set. Results: C8:0 and C10:0 consistently induced the highest extracellular β-HB accumulation, whereas most long-chain saturated FAs and very-long-chain monounsaturated FAs showed lower responses. The single four-compound held-out subset yielded an apparent R² of 0.875, but repeated random-split assessment showed substantial split-dependent variability, and simple baseline models performed similarly to GradientBoosting. Conclusions: This study provides a preliminary in vitro dataset for comparing extracellular β-HB responses to selected dietary FAs under defined nutrient-deprived hepatocyte assay conditions. The descriptor-based analysis should be interpreted only as a small-sample, exploratory, hypothesis-generating structure–response framework. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Lipids)

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10 pages, 4816 KB

Open AccessArticle

Substrate Holder Material-Driven Microstructure Evolution and Hydrogenation Behavior of Pd/Mg Thin Films Prepared by Magnetron Sputtering

by Nanxiang Deng, Dan Wang, Guoying Pang, Tong Yu, Hao Zhang, Yangyang Yu, Ying He, Juan Chen and Liming Peng

Metals 2026, 16(6), 680; https://doi.org/10.3390/met16060680 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Mg-based thin films are promising candidates for hydrogen-responsive optical devices. However, their performance is strongly influenced by microstructural evolution during deposition. In this work, Mg thin films were deposited onto glass substrates placed on different substrate-holder materials (Si and 304 stainless steel) to investigate the influence of substrate-holder configuration on microstructure formation. Fluorocarbon (FC)/Pd/Mg multilayer films were subsequently fabricated to evaluate hydrogenation and dehydrogenation behaviors. The results show that the substrate-holder material significantly affects film morphology and hydrogenation performance. Mg films prepared using the Si holder exhibit relatively uniform hexagonal-like surface morphologies, whereas those prepared using the stainless-steel holder show a transition from granular to hexagonal-like morphologies with increasing sputtering power. Hydrogenation measurements reveal that FC/Pd/Mg films prepared using the stainless-steel holder exhibit superior performance, including a reflectance modulation of approximately 70%, a transmittance modulation exceeding 40%, and a hydrogenation time of about 30 s. In contrast, films prepared using the Si holder show reduced optical modulation and slower hydrogenation kinetics. The observed differences in hydrogenation behavior are closely correlated with variations in film microstructure induced by different substrate-holder configurations. The results suggest that substrate-holder-dependent growth conditions may influence defect formation and hydrogen diffusion pathways in Mg-based thin films. This study highlights the importance of substrate-holder configuration as a processing parameter affecting microstructure evolution and hydrogen-responsive performance in FC/Pd/Mg multilayer films. Full article

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17 pages, 882 KB

Open AccessArticle

Vigorous Physical Activity Mitigates Susceptibility to Obesity Associated with Risk Genotypes of FTO and MC4R, and SREBF1 Is Hypermethylated: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study

by Jenni Chambers, Mary Erazo Bastidas, Clare M. P. Roscoe, Corinna Chidley, Aaisha Makkar and Aparna Duggirala

Epigenomes 2026, 10(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/epigenomes10020042 (registering DOI) - 21 Jun 2026

Abstract

Aim: The aim of this study was to correlate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the FTO and MC4R genes with body composition (BC) in populations with various levels of physical activity, and to investigate associations of SREBF1 methylation with the level of physical activity (PA) and BC. Methods: Fifty-six participants aged 18–65 years old with no underlying medical conditions were included in the study and were classified into sedentary/light PA (SLPA), moderate PA (MPA) and vigorous PA (VPA) groups using the International PA questionnaire (IPAQ). Anthropometric measures such as age, gender, body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage (BFP) were recorded at the time of recruitment. Venous blood samples were collected during participant recruitment and DNA was extracted. Genotyping assays were performed for SNPs in FTO (rs9939609) and MC4R (rs17782313) using Taqman^® RT qPCR and TaqMan Genotyper software 1.7.1. Methylation analysis assay for CpG sites in the SREBF1 gene was performed on 56 samples using PyroMark^® Q48 Autoprep (Qiagen,Venlo, Netherlands). The results were statistically analysed to identify any associations between FTO/MC4R genotypes and the level of PA, and between SREBF1 methylation status and the level of PA. This is the first study to investigate links between PA and quantitative methylation of SREBF1. Results: According to IPAQ guidance, the 56 participants were classified into SLPA n = 14, MPA n = 11 and VPA n = 31. The correlation analysis revealed that the FTO rs9939609 ‘A’ risk allele had a significant negative association with BFP in the VPA group (p = 0.0387); the MC4R rs17782313 ‘C’ risk allele had a significant positive association with BMI in the VPA group (p = 0.0256). In the SREBF1 pyrosequencing analysis, higher levels of methylation were observed in the VPA group (p = 0.07). Conclusions: We concluded that SNPs associated with obesity identified in FTO rs9939609 and MC4R rs17782313 could help to predict the molecular effects of PA. A high frequency of FTO risk variants in the cohort was observed and the VPA group could help maintain a healthy BFP. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Epigenetic Signatures in Metabolic Health and Cancer)

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