Sci

Sustainable manufacturing increasingly demands environmentally friendly machining strategies, and dry machining has become recognized as a sustainable alternative to conventional coolant-assisted processes. This study presents a framework built on a machine learning technique for optimizing the dry machining performance of Super Duplex Stainless Steel (SDSS 2507) using textured cutting inserts. Gaussian process regression (GPR) models were developed to predict maximum roughness depth (R_max) and maximum flank wear (VB_max). Gaussian data augmentation was employed to enhance model generalization. The predictive performance was strong, with R² values recorded above 0.95 on testing datasets. To identify optimal machining parameters, GPR was integrated with particle swarm optimization (PSO), enabling independent optimization of R_max and VB_max. The framework achieved reductions of 13.97% in R_max and 30.70% in VB_max compared to experimental benchmarks. The results confirm the effectiveness of data-driven optimization in enhancing surface quality, tool performance, and intelligent machining control. Full article

Mesh resolution is a central source of numerical uncertainty in two-dimensional flood modelling because it controls terrain representation, wetting–drying transitions, computational cost, and the transferability of calibrated parameters. Yet controlled evidence remains limited on whether two widely used solvers exhibit the same resolution response patterns across flood magnitudes. This study compares calibrated model configurations developed in HEC-RAS 2D version 7.0 and SMS 13.0–TUFLOW Classic for a mountainous to low-gradient reach of the Little River, Tennessee, USA, using identical terrain, land cover roughness, and hydrological boundary data. The models were calibrated with the 6–11 April 2025 event and independently validated with the 11–16 March 2026 event. A factorial experiment comprising two models, five cell sizes (15–55 ft), and five flow conditions (the observed event and Q₅₀, Q₁₀₀, Q₂₀₀, and Q₅₀₀ design floods) resulted in 50 simulations. The study simultaneously evaluates resolution sensitivity within each calibrated model and inter-model convergence under a common scenario matrix. Inundation extent was most resolution-sensitive during the lower-magnitude observed event, whereas inter-model extent differences decreased as flood magnitude increased. Outlet hydrographs and peak discharges were comparatively stable, but local water-depth distributions became less consistent as the mesh was coarsened, particularly in SMS-TUFLOW. HEC-RAS retained greater depth consistency, plausibly because its sub-grid property tables preserve cell-scale volume and conveyance information. Overall, mesh adequacy was output- and solver-specific, indicating that grid selection should be based on the intended hydraulic output and supported by explicit spatial stability testing. Full article

The tropical fruits velvet tamarind, baobab, and African locust beans are used as foods and in beverages for medicinal purposes. They are important sources of nutrients and bioactive compounds. This research focused on the bioactive composition in the fruit pulps and seeds of these African plant species. Spectrophotometric analysis of the total phenolic and flavonoid contents, the antioxidant capacity (DPPH, FRAP, and ABTS assays), the quantification and profile of phenolic compounds, hydrosoluble vitamins B and C (HPLC), and fatty acids (GC-FID), and the toxicological analysis of amygdalin (HPLC) and elements (XRF) were assessed. The fruit velvet tamarind exhibited the highest TPC, TFC, and antioxidant capacity, with seed content higher than pulp, primarily due to naringin (54.45 mg/100 g). Baobab presented the second highest TPC and TFC content and antioxidant capacity, with pulp being higher than seed, mainly due to vitamin C (79.97 mg/100 g) and rutin (47.92 mg/100 g). Several bioactive compounds were quantified, such as vitamin C, various hydroxycinnamic acids (caffeic, p-coumaric, chlorogenic, ferulic), hydroxybenzoic acids (gallic, vanillic), and polyphenols (quercetin, catechin, epicatechin, rutin, naringin, procyanidin, kaempferol), as well as fatty acids from the ω-3 and ω-6 series. Amygdalin was not detected in any seeds, and Cd content was higher than 0.05 mg/kg of dry weight. Full article

‘Genetic zipper’ technology—based on CUAD (Contact Unmodified Antisense DNA) biotechnology, briefly CUADb—represents a step forward in eco-friendly pest control. This unique innovative approach is based on a fundamentally new biological mechanism—a two-step DNA containment (DNAc) mechanism. DNAc employs short, unmodified antisense DNA molecules to selectively degrade target pre-rRNA and/or rRNA in insect pests recruiting up-regulated RNase H1 and RT-RNase H during DNAc, disrupting protein synthesis and causing the down-regulation of kinases due to ATP insufficiency and ultimately leading to high mortality rates. Demonstrating exceptional speed and precision, this technology enables the design of effective and selective DNA pesticides (oligonucleotide pesticides) for no less than 15% of known insect pests in a single day. In this review, we highlight the simplicity and global applicability of this technology using case studies involving 12 economically significant pest species, including hemipterans and one spider mite, from five continents. These oligonucleotide pesticides, computationally predicted via the DNAInsector web tool, are supposed to offer 80–90% efficacy against target pests within one–two weeks under laboratory or field conditions. Their action is primarily non-systemic, requiring direct contact. Oligonucleotide pesticides are environmentally safe, biodegradable, and highly specific, reducing risks to non-target organisms. The ‘genetic zipper’ technology not only provides a powerful tool for researchers and practitioners but also opens a new era in DNA-programmable pest management, where personalized, algorithm-driven pesticides can be easily created and applied for sustainable agriculture. Full article

The large-scale integration of photovoltaic generation into distribution grids has introduced significant operational challenges, including voltage excursions, reverse power flows, and increased variability. Battery energy storage systems (BESSs) offer a versatile solution by providing coordinated active- and reactive-power support. However, their scheduling in active distribution networks is challenging because of the non-convex alternating-current (AC) power-flow equations, the nondifferentiability of battery-degradation modeling, and uncertainty in renewable generation and demand. This paper proposes a two-stage methodology for the day-ahead operation of BESSs in ADNs. In the first stage, parallel particle swarm optimization (PPSO) determines the hourly active- and reactive-power schedules of the BESS units. In the second stage, a matrix-based multi-period AC power flow based on successive approximations evaluates the schedules and verifies voltage, thermal, converter-capability, and state-of-charge (SoC) constraints. A rainflow-counting degradation model is incorporated into the objective function to account for cycling and calendar aging costs. The methodology is assessed through ablation analyses comparing active-power-only and coordinated P–Q dispatches, degradation-unaware and degradation-aware scheduling, and serial and parallel PSO implementations. It is validated on modified 33-, 69-, and 136-node systems under deterministic and uncertainty-based operating conditions, including 100 demand and PV-generation scenarios. PPSO is compared with parallel versions of the adaptive Jaya algorithm (AJAYA), genetic algorithm (GA), multi-verse optimizer (MVO), salp swarm algorithm (SSA), grey wolf optimizer (GWO), and vortex search algorithm (VSA), using operating-cost reduction, computational time, solution variability, feasibility indicators, BESS lifetime, and weekly cost analysis. Additionally, exact one-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank tests with Holm adjustment are used to assess the statistical significance of the economic differences between PPSO and the benchmark methods. Results show that PPSO provides the lowest or most competitive operating costs and the shortest computational time in the evaluated cases, while all network and storage constraints remain satisfied. Full article

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common complication following cardiac surgery and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Contemporary national estimates of its clinical and economic burden in the United States remain limited. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) for 2022–2023. Adult hospitalizations undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), valve surgery, or combined CABG and valve surgery were identified using ICD-10-PCS codes. Hospitalizations with end-stage kidney disease were excluded. The primary exposure was AKI. Outcomes included in-hospital mortality, length of stay (LOS), non-home discharge, and hospitalization cost. Survey-weighted multivariable regression models were used to evaluate the independent association between AKI and study outcomes. Results: The final cohort included 133,801 hospitalizations, representing an estimated 669,005 cardiac surgery hospitalizations nationally. AKI occurred in 123,240 weighted hospitalizations (18.4%). Compared with hospitalizations without AKI, those with AKI had higher unadjusted mortality (7.21% vs. 0.71%), longer LOS (14.4 vs. 6.3 days), greater rates of non-home discharge (68.1% vs. 41.2%), and higher hospitalization costs ($97,452 vs. $56,253). After adjustment for demographic, socioeconomic, clinical, and procedural characteristics, AKI remained independently associated with in-hospital mortality (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 9.91, 95% confidence interval [CI] 8.95–11.00), non-home discharge (aOR 2.52, 95% CI 2.42–2.63), prolonged LOS (adjusted rate ratio [aRR] 1.88, 95% CI 1.85–1.91), and increased hospitalization costs (cost ratio 1.59, 95% CI 1.56–1.61). AKI was associated with an adjusted incremental cost of $33,497 per hospitalization, corresponding to an estimated national attributable cost burden of $4.13 billion during the study period. Conclusions: AKI complicates nearly one in five cardiac surgery hospitalizations in the United States and is associated with substantially increased mortality, healthcare utilization, and hospitalization costs. These findings highlight the significant clinical and economic burden of cardiac surgery–associated AKI and support continued efforts to improve prevention, risk stratification, and perioperative management. Full article

This study developed surface-functionalized polylactic acid (PLA) films by depositing electrospun gelatin/chitosan (GE/CH) nanofibrous coatings formulated with and without bioactive phenolic compounds (curcumin and anthocyanin). Evaluating various polymer blending ratios and operational parameters revealed that a GE:CH ratio of 7:3 (v/v), processed at an applied voltage of 25 kV and a collector speed of 300 rpm, provided the most stable electrospinning behavior among those tested, yielding a uniform nanoscale fibrillar network. The deposition of this selected GE/CH layer onto the PLA substrate significantly improved the composite bilayer film’s tensile strength and oxygen barrier properties, although it increased macroscopic opacity. Furthermore, active coatings containing 0.25% and 0.50% (w/w) curcumin or anthocyanin were successfully processed. This 0.50% level was the maximum concentration quantitatively evaluated in the present study, as preliminary observations suggested poorer processability at higher concentrations, which induced premature gelation and needle clogging. While interactions (mostly non-covalent physical interactions) associated with the phenolic compounds synergistically reinforced the mechanical rigidity and reduced the water vapor permeability of the bilayer films, the macroscopic bioactive functionality was limited. The low loading concentrations, coupled with severe optical masking and restricted aqueous extraction, resulted in moderate antioxidant activity (10.31–30.46% DPPH radical inhibition) and no visually detectable halochromic (pH-responsive) color changes. Overall, these findings highlight a significant functional trade-off in the design of active coatings, where structural and mass transport barrier enhancements are achieved, but macroscopic bioactive functionality is constrained, underscoring the necessity for advanced encapsulation strategies in future developments. Full article

This paper proposes that the origin of life may be understood as a cascade of dynamical integration events governed by Painlevé transcendental equations—a class of nonlinear differential equations arising widely in physics, from quantum mechanics to general relativity. Four prebiotic subsystems (mineral catalysts, information polymers, free-energy transducers, and lipid membranes) undergo progressive coupling, tracing a stepwise cascade ($\mathrm{PVI}\to \mathrm{PV}\to {\mathrm{PIII}}^{D_6}\to {\mathrm{PIII}}^{D_7}\to {\mathrm{PIII}}^{D_8}$) along the Chekhov confluence diagram, culminating in the LUCA (Last Universal Common Ancestor). Each step corresponds to a specific biochemical integration event. The Painlevé framework is explicitly phenomenological: it classifies dynamical regimes of subsystem coupling rather than deriving biochemical mechanisms from first principles. A central quantitative feature is a characteristic separation parameter (${\Delta }_{\min }\approx 0.15$) between effective subsystem rates ($r_i={\tau }_i^{-1}$), with oscillation frequencies scaling as $\omega \propto r^{1/2}{\Delta }^{-1/2}$. Several prospective test systems are identified, including the Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction, the formose reaction, and chemically monitored extreme environments. Existing literature is used to define operational protocols, but no retrospective dataset is treated here as an independent validation of the proposed value of ${\Delta }_{\min }\approx 0.15$. In particular, the formose calculation below is explicitly an illustrative model calculation whose parameters remain to be measured. The framework offers a potential unification of the RNA World, Metabolism-First, and Protocell theories as sequential stages of a single cascade; provides an indicative timeline (4.4–3.5 Ga) anchored to geological constraints; and makes quantitative, falsifiable predictions. A dedicated Scope and Limitations section discusses what the approach does and does not claim. Full article

Battery energy storage systems can reduce the operating cost of active distribution networks while supporting voltage control through their power electronic converters. This paper develops an application-specific multi-operator Differential Evolution (DE) framework for the coordinated active and reactive power scheduling of distributed battery energy storage systems in radial distribution networks with photovoltaic generation. The optimization model minimizes the daily operating cost associated with conventional energy supply, photovoltaic and storage operation and maintenance, and battery degradation. Candidate schedules encode hourly active and reactive power references for three storage converters, producing a 144 dimensional decision vector for a 24 h horizon. Each candidate is repaired to satisfy active power, state of charge, terminal energy, and converter apparent power limits before being evaluated through an alternating current power flow based on matrix successive approximations. The search framework generates three competing trial schedules per target individual by combining established best-guided, random, and current-to-random DE mutation families with a discrete parameter pool, a common feasibility-repair operator, and greedy selection after AC network evaluation. The method is tested on modified 33-node and 69-node active distribution networks and compared with AJAYA, genetic algorithm, multiverse optimizer, and particle swarm optimization. In the deterministic 33-node case, Differential Evolution obtains the lowest best cost, USD 6846.206, and the largest best cost reduction, 2.1838 percent. The scenario study performs separate deterministic optimizations for pre-generated operating realizations and is therefore interpreted as a scenario-conditioned sensitivity assessment rather than as stochastic or robust optimization of one here-and-now schedule. In this assessment, DE achieves the largest average savings: 2.3487 percent in the 33-node network and 2.9314 percent in the 69-node network. Voltage magnitudes, branch loading, converter ratings, and cyclic state of charge constraints are satisfied in all evaluated cases. The results identify the proposed framework as a competitive day-ahead solver within the evaluated cases, while no claim of global optimality or universal superiority over alternative optimizers is made. Full article

Peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma coactivator-1 alpha (PGC-1α), encoded by PPARGC1A, plays an important role in the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis, metabolism, and energy balance. Alterations in PGC-1α function have been found in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and neurodegenerative diseases (NDs), but molecular similarities in these pathologies have not been comprehensively studied yet. The current systematic review provides a synthesis of preclinical data on the role of PGC-1α in relation to T2DM and NDs. This study was performed in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 statement. PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science and ScienceDirect were screened for studies published between January 2015 and March 2025. Preclinical studies, including in vivo animal studies with and without in vitro studies, were evaluated for risk of bias according to the SYRCLE checklist and modified CAMARADES checklist. Due to the high heterogeneity, data were qualitatively synthesized. Eleven preclinical studies met the inclusion criteria. Decreased PGC-1α signalling was indicated to be linked to mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, glucose metabolism impairment, insulin resistance and neurodegeneration via AMPK, SIRT1, CREB, FOXO, PPARγ, Parkin/PARIS, and BDNF pathways. Pharmacological interventions and exercise support increased PGC-1α signalling, potentially improved mitochondrial functions and metabolism and facilitated neuronal survival. Though most studies had a low risk of bias, methodological limitations were quite prevalent. PGC-1α is a key molecular mediator between metabolic dysfunction and neurodegeneration and is a potential target for intervention. However, more rigorous translational and clinical studies are required for the validation of results. This systematic review has not been prospectively registered. Full article

This study explores the development of low-friction, water-based coatings tailored for industrial applications in pharmaceutical glass packaging. The study focuses on scalable deposition strategies to obtain durable low-friction coatings suitable for industrial implementation. To balance mechanical performance and application efficiency, two different application approaches based on a two-component coating (aminosilane primer and lubricant) were investigated. In the first case, the coating is deposited in two steps, while in the second, a single deposition step is used. Characterization through contact-angle measurements and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirmed successful deposition of the primer on the glass surface. Scratch resistance tests revealed an increase in the critical load for fracture initiation from 4.5 N for uncoated glass to 6.5 N for the best-performing coating, indicating improved resistance to surface damage. Friction performance was assessed via tribological tests, which demonstrated that the primer–lubricant coatings achieved the lowest coefficient of friction (approximately 0.2), compared with uncoated glass (stabilizing at approximately 0.3 after an initial value of 0.5) and lubricant-only coatings (approximately 0.4–0.5), confirming the beneficial role of the primer in the coating system. Representative profilometry measurements indicated sub-micrometric coating thicknesses, while UV–Vis measurements confirmed that the coatings preserved the high optical transparency of the glass substrate, with average visible transmittance values above 90%. Furthermore, the successful implementation of the coating using an automated spray system demonstrates its potential for scalable industrial production. These findings support the potential of environmentally sustainable water-based coatings for pharmaceutical glass packaging by combining improved mechanical performance with preserved optical transparency and compatibility with scalable spray deposition. Full article

Breast cancer is associated with systemic inflammation and increased cardiovascular risk, and anthracycline chemotherapy may contribute to persistent myocardial injury. This study aimed to evaluate acute changes in inflammatory cytokines and plasma redox status after the first anthracycline cycle and to assess long-term ventricular function after 10 years in women with breast cancer. We conducted a prospective study of 17 patients with breast cancer treated with anthracycline-based chemotherapy at Salvador Hospital, Santiago, Chile. Plasma cytokines were measured at baseline (day −7) and on day +3 after the first cycle using a MILLIPLEX Luminex^® assay. Echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular systolic and diastolic function, together with oxidative stress parameters, was performed at baseline and after 10 years of follow-up. Anthracycline exposure was associated with an acute increase in several cytokines related to inflammatory and vascular remodeling, including EGF, eotaxin, MCP-1, and VEGF. In addition, markers of redox imbalance suggested an acute pro-oxidant response after treatment. At long-term follow-up (10 years), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) remained within the normal range in all patients. However, integrative echocardiographic assessment revealed impaired left ventricular relaxation, evidenced by significant reductions in the mitral inflow E/A ratio, and septal and lateral e′ velocities with respect to baseline, despite preserved estimated filling pressures. These alterations were accompanied by persistent oxidative stress, reflected by persistently elevated levels of lipid peroxidation markers, such as in vivo 8-isoprostanes. In this pilot cohort, anthracycline chemotherapy induced an early inflammatory and oxidative response that was not associated with overt long-term systolic dysfunction but was accompanied by persistent biochemical and diastolic alterations. These findings support the concept of a long-term subclinical cardiotoxic phenotype and highlight the potential value of combining echocardiographic assessment with circulating redox and inflammatory biomarkers to improve long-term cardiovascular surveillance in breast cancer survivors. Full article

Renewable-powered agricultural water systems are often assessed as solar-pumping devices, but their sustainability depends on a service chain linking crop-water demand, hydraulic duty point, power electronics, storage, water quality, governance, operation and end-of-life management. This structured integrative review synthesizes peer-reviewed and practice-oriented evidence on photovoltaic pumping, hybrid renewable irrigation, grid-interactive pumps, micro-hydro assistance and renewable-powered brackish-water reverse osmosis (PV-RO). Evidence was screened across four source families and coded by service function, energy architecture, hydraulic duty and dominant sustainability pathway; recurring combinations were consolidated using explicit separation and merge rules. It develops an archetype-based screening framework for ex ante appraisal of irrigation, desalination and circularity risks. Seven technology-service archetypes are identified: direct PV pumping, PV-to-tank pumping, PV with electrical buffering, grid-interactive PV pumping, PV–wind hybrid irrigation, micro-hydro-assisted irrigation and PV-RO water making. The framework links each archetype to its operating envelope, evidence maturity, enabling subsystems, sustainability pathways, minimum indicators and ordinal triggers for deeper due diligence. Hydraulic storage is usually the lowest-regret reliability buffer for open-field irrigation, whereas batteries are justified mainly when pressure stability, fertigation timing or night-time operation has high agronomic value. PV-RO is a distinct water-making archetype and is environmentally defensible only where feed-water characterization, energy recovery, pretreatment, product-water agronomy, membrane management and permitted concentrate disposal are embedded in design. Two synthetic applications demonstrate archetype selection and due-diligence escalation. Responsible deployment requires service-oriented screening that integrates hydraulic design, groundwater governance, procurement quality assurance, circularity obligations and social inclusion before field implementation. Full article

Proteomics has emerged as a powerful tool for advancing our understanding of brain disorders by enabling large-scale characterization of protein expression, post-translational modifications, and interaction networks. Neurological conditions are often characterized by complex and dynamic molecular changes that are not fully captured by traditional diagnostic approaches. Proteomic technologies, particularly mass spectrometry-based and affinity-based methods, offer the ability to identify disease-specific protein signatures and elucidate underlying pathophysiological mechanisms, including neurodegeneration, neurodevelopment and neuroinflammation and alterations happening to the extracellular matrix and body fluid homeostasis. In recent years, artificial intelligence has emerged as a powerful tool to proteomics, enabling improved analysis of complex biological datasets. This integration has significantly enhanced the discovery of biomarkers for early diagnosis, disease stratification, and monitoring of therapeutic responses. Thus, cerebrospinal fluid and blood-based proteomic analyses have revealed promising candidates for neurological diseases. This review summarizes current advances in proteomics across a range of brain disorders, highlighting key molecular pathways, biomarker discovery efforts, and evolving clinical applications. Furthermore, it outlines future directions, including the application of machine learning for improved biomarker identification and precision medicine. Full article

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is increasingly managed through lifestyle measures, yet the value of pairing structured exercise with a well-characterised phytotherapeutic adjunct remains poorly defined. We examined whether adding Nigella sativa (NS) to combined aerobic and resistance exercise (EX) yields greater improvements in metabolic, inflammatory, and oxidative-stress markers than exercise alone in men with T2DM. In this three-arm randomised controlled trial, 90 sedentary, non-smoking men (aged 40–60 years; T2DM duration > 2 years; glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) 6.5–9.0%; body mass index (BMI) < 30 kg/m²) were allocated 1:1:1 to control, EX, or EX + NS (2 g/day; n = 30 per group) for four weeks. Fasting blood samples obtained before and after the intervention were used to measure glycaemic indices (fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fructosamine), a lipid panel (total cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c)), inflammatory markers (tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-4 (IL-4), and adiponectin), and oxidative-stress markers (thiobarbituric acid–reactive substances (TBARS) and catalase activity). Outcomes were analysed by two-way repeated-measures analysis of variance (time × group), with partial eta-squared (η_p²) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) reported for all principal effects. Relative to control, both exercise arms significantly improved body composition and glycaemic, lipid, inflammatory, and oxidative-stress profiles (all p < 0.05). The time × group interaction was significant for every outcome except systolic and diastolic blood pressure and triglycerides. Compared with EX alone, EX + NS produced significantly greater improvements in FBG, HDL-C, TBARS, and catalase activity; changes in fructosamine, total cholesterol, TNF-α, IL-4, and adiponectin favoured EX + NS directionally but did not reach significance after correction for multiple comparisons. Triglycerides, LDL-C, and blood pressure did not differ between the two exercise arms. These hypothesis-generating findings support NS as a candidate adjunct to structured exercise for selected metabolic and redox outcomes, and warrant larger, longer, sex-balanced confirmation. Full article

Electrochemical treatment can provide contaminant destruction, phase separation, ionic polishing, and resource recovery; however, performance cannot be judged by removal efficiency alone. This structured critical review compares electro-oxidation (EO), electrocoagulation (EC), electro-Fenton (EF), electrodialysis (ED), electrodeionization (EDI), capacitive deionization (CDI), flow-electrode CDI (FCDI), and bioelectrochemical systems (BES) in municipal wastewater, industrial effluents, sludge-related applications, and treatment side-streams. Searches of Scopus, Web of Science Core Collection, and PubMed were updated to 22 July 2026, and the evidence was assessed according to treatment function, wastewater realism, operating mode, durability, residual fate, energy and cost boundaries, resource recovery, and life cycle implications. Recent advances include porous flow-through anodes, oxygen-efficient cathodes, selective ion separation materials, and pilot BES configurations. However, scale-up remains constrained by electrode aging, by-products, sludge and concentrate management, oxygen transfer, fouling, competing ions, internal resistance, biological instability, and incomplete long-term economic and environmental evidence. The quantitative results show that the energy, cost, and carbon outcomes depend strongly on the treatment function and system boundary. The evidence for sludge and biosolids is less mature than that for liquid wastewater. Therefore, electrochemical technologies are best positioned as function-specific units within hybrid treatment trains rather than as universal replacements for conventional treatments. Full article

Chronic inflammation is closely associated with cancer progression through the promotion of angiogenesis and tumor-supportive signaling pathways. Tumor necrosis factor-α–induced protein 8-like 2 (TIPE2) regulates leukocyte polarization through phosphoinositide transport and represents a promising therapeutic target for solid tumors. However, the large hydrophobic cavity of TIPE2 presents a significant challenge for inhibitor design. In this work, a quadrant docking grid system was developed to enable fragment docking in defined regions of the binding cavity, facilitating fragment linking with minimal overlap and maximal spatial coverage. To our knowledge, this is the first application of a quadrant grid docking strategy for fragment-based inhibitor design. Fragments were screened using AutoDock Vina 1.2.3 and selected based on both binding affinity and predicted aqueous solubility. The highest-binding linked compounds, F1-F12 and F1-F13, exhibited binding affinities of −12.4 and −11.5 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively. Rational modifications yielded compounds MF112 and MF113 with improved predicted ADME properties while maintaining strong binding affinities of −11.7 kcal mol⁻¹. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated stable binding complexes over 5 ns trajectories, with RMSD stabilization after approximately 1–2 ns. These results demonstrate that quadrant-based fragment docking provides an effective strategy for designing inhibitors targeting proteins with large binding cavities and provides promising lead compounds for the development of TIPE2 inhibitors. Full article

Maintaining genetic diversity is essential for the long-term conservation of migratory freshwater fishes facing increasing anthropogenic pressures. Prochilodus magdalenae (bocachico), one of Colombia’s most economically and ecologically important freshwater fish species, supports artisanal fisheries, regional food security, and the livelihoods of local communities but has experienced population declines associated with overfishing, habitat degradation, and hydrological alteration. This study evaluated the genetic diversity and population structure of wild and hatchery-associated P. magdalenae from northern Colombia using sequence-based microsatellite genotyping (SSR-GBS). Sixty individuals (48 wild adults from three localities in the Department of Sucre and 12 hatchery-associated fingerlings from Cereté) were genotyped at seven polymorphic microsatellite loci. Wild populations retained high genetic diversity and exhibited weak but significant genetic differentiation (FST = 0.017, p = 0.003), with only 2% of the molecular variation distributed among populations and high estimated gene flow (Nm = 14.899). Hatchery-associated fingerlings consistently exhibited lower allelic richness while maintaining relatively high heterozygosity. Rarefied allelic richness did not differ significantly among populations (Kruskal–Wallis, p = 0.400); however, hatchery-associated fish consistently showed lower values, highlighting the value of allelic richness as a complementary indicator for evaluating hatchery-produced stocks. These findings provide a genetic baseline for the conservation of P. magdalenae and support incorporating routine genetic monitoring into supportive breeding and restocking programs. Full article

m-phenylenediamine sulfate (mPDS) is used as an oxidative hair dye intermediate and is permitted in cosmetic products in Korea at concentrations up to 3%. However, quantitative data on its dermal absorption remain limited. This study evaluated the in vitro dermal absorption of mPDS using a Franz diffusion cell system. An LC–MS/MS method was developed and validated for quantifying mPDS in receptor fluid, skin, wash solution, and tape-stripped stratum corneum samples. The method showed excellent linearity (r² ≥ 0.9951), with overall accuracy of 85.9–110.9% and precision of 0.7–10.9%, meeting regulatory validation criteria. Dermal absorption studies were performed using mini-pig dorsal skin that satisfied integrity requirements. Oxidative hair dye formulations containing mPDS at 0.7% or 2.1% were applied at 10 mg/cm², and receptor fluid samples were collected for 24 h. Most of the applied dose was recovered in the wash fraction after removal at 30 min. Dermal absorption was 2.90 ± 1.27 and 4.75 ± 2.06 µg/cm² for 0.7% and 2.1% mPDS, respectively. These findings provide quantitative dermal absorption data to support regulatory exposure characterization of mPDS. Full article