Search Results (61,136)

This research was conducted on small farms in Republika Srpska, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Data were collected through direct interviews on five farms, each with 8–15 dairy cows, which at some point diversified their production from selling raw milk to processing and selling fresh cheese. Due to low productivity and limited economies of scale, calculated indicators such as net present value, internal rate of return, and payback period are insufficient to consider traditional milk production economically justified. However, further analysis using Monte Carlo simulations and the real options method demonstrated that diversifying production into cheese processing is economically feasible, as confirmed by the strategic net present value calculated using Black–Scholes and binomial approaches. The results indicate that small, extensive family farms should focus on higher levels of product finalization. Although their production volumes are limited and they are not cost-competitive in raw milk markets, they gain a competitive advantage by adding value through their own labor and selling products via short supply chains. Diversification enables these farms to improve profitability, achieve financial stability, and strengthen market positioning, demonstrating that value addition is essential for the sustainability of small-scale dairy enterprises. Full article

Anaerobic digestion under a Waste-to-Energy (WtE-AD) framework represents a sustainable alternative for managing organic waste and generating bioenergy in developing countries. However, most life cycle assessment (LCA) studies implicitly assume stable operation, overlooking the environmental implications of process instability. In practice, large-scale WtE-AD plants are frequently affected by methanogenic inhibition events that reduce methane production and compromise their technical, economic, and environmental performance. This study—Part 2 of a two-paper series—addresses this gap by quantifying, from a life cycle perspective, the environmental consequences of recurrent methanogenic inhibition events in large-scale WtE-AD systems, complementing the techno-economic analysis presented in Part 1. Large-scale WtE-AD plants were modeled using design equations based on treatment capacity (60–200 t d⁻¹), considering scenarios with up to ten inhibition events over a 25-year operational period. The LCA was conducted in accordance with ISO 14040:14044 standards, defining as the functional unit one ton of co-digested fruit and vegetable residues with meat industry wastes, under an attributional approach with system boundary expansion and evaluating midpoint indicators through the ReCiPe 2016 method. Results show that inhibition events increase greenhouse gas emissions by up to 400% (from 28.1 to 138.6 kg CO₂ eq t⁻¹ of waste treated), while plants with capacities above 125 t d⁻¹ exhibit environmental credits (negative emission balances), demonstrating greater environmental resilience. Electricity substitution from the Mexican grid generated savings of up to 0.624 kg CO₂ eq kWh⁻¹, although the magnitude of the benefits strongly depends on the regional electricity mix. This dependency was further explored through comparative electricity mix scenarios representative of different levels of power sector decarbonization, allowing the sensitivity of WtE-AD environmental performance to regional grid characteristics to be assessed. Compared to landfill disposal (1326 kg CO₂ eq t⁻¹), WtE-AD plants significantly reduce impacts across all assessed categories. By explicitly integrating operational instability into an industrial-scale LCA framework, this work highlights the importance of evaluating methanogenic inhibition events from a life cycle perspective, providing key insights for the design of more sustainable and resilient WtE-AD processes within a Latin American context. Full article

Background and Objectives: Extracellular matrix (ECM) and collagen remodeling contribute to chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression and vascular access dysfunction. Conventional histological techniques rely on staining and provide limited sensitivity for detecting early or subtle ECM alterations. Nonlinear optical imaging modalities, including second-harmonic generation (SHG), third-harmonic generation (THG), and multiphoton fluorescence (MPF) microscopy, enable label-free, high-resolution visualization of fibrillar collagen and may offer additional structural information. This study aimed to evaluate the added value of nonlinear imaging beyond conventional histology for assessing ECM remodeling in renal and vascular tissues. Materials and Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for studies published between 1 January 2015, and 4 April 2025, investigating ECM or collagen remodeling in renal or vascular tissues using SHG, THG, or MPF microscopy. After screening 115 records, 10 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis. In addition, representative SHG, THG, and MPF images of excised human arteriovenous fistula (AVF) tissue were acquired as illustrative feasibility examples to demonstrate the application of these imaging modalities. The use of human tissue was approved by the Vilnius Regional Biomedical Research Ethics Committee (approval No. 2022/6-1443-917). Results: The included studies demonstrated that nonlinear microscopy enables label-free assessment of collagen density, organization, and fiber orientation. SHG imaging differentiated healthy from diseased tissues and has been reported to support fibrosis assessment and staging in preclinical and selected clinical studies and revealed microstructural remodeling patterns not readily detected by conventional histology. The illustrative AVF images demonstrated collagen disorganization consistent with patterns reported in the reviewed literature and are presented solely to demonstrate imaging feasibility, without implying disease phenotype or clinical outcome associations. Conclusions: Nonlinear optical microscopy provides complementary structural information on ECM organization that is not accessible with standard histological techniques. Further validation and methodological standardization are required to support its broader application in clinical nephrology and vascular medicine. Full article

Municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are crucial for protecting the environment and public health, yet the discharge of treated wastewater can influence the biodiversity of aquatic microbial communities. Enterobacterales are reliable indicators of sanitary risk. Contamination with Enterobacterales often reflects wastewater treatment inefficiency, and pathogenic strains such as E. coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Enterobacter pose significant public health threats. This study assessed bacterial diversity in the wastewater treatment process and evaluated how treated wastewater affects the microbiome of the Pilica River. Its added value lies in the use of an integrated catchment-scale approach, involving an analysis of the Pilica River from its source to its mouth (including eight sampling sites), all seasons, and inflows from 17 WWTPs. The abundance of Enterobacterales was strongly correlated with environmental factors, but not with pH. WWTP size influenced the relative abundance of ASVs of Yersinia, Escherichia-Shigella, and total Enterobacterales, while influent composition had no significant effect on microbial communities. Seasonal variations had the greatest impact on river microbiota, particularly Yersinia, Rahnella, and Providencia. Escherichia-Shigella dominated across wastewater and river samples, confirming its role as an indicator of water quality. The study demonstrated that treated wastewater can modify river microbiomes, thereby increasing sanitary and epidemiological risks. Full article

After numerous false starts, the global microalgae industry is re-emerging, driven by its potential to address critical challenges in food and nutrition, sustainable energy, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, and climate change mitigation. Although technical advances in microalgae production show value adding potential, progressing from innovation to product launch and competitiveness is complex. It requires an integrated understanding of technology readiness, regulatory compliance, financial necessities, and market competition. This study presents a novel analytical framework underpinning a data-enabled, evidence-based approach to navigating the innovation pathways to market and beyond. The framework integrates value-add opportunities, identifying key stages faced in pre-competitive (including Technology Readiness Level (TRL), R&D spend, and patent trends), and competitive market stages (including product launches, product claims, market size, market share, growth/maturity, international markets, distribution channels, sectoral profile, and competitive landscape), aligned with regulatory requirements. Although not without limitations, such as incomplete data for emerging products, as well as reliance on secondary sources for product stage determination and market size estimates which can influence the accuracy of TRL classification and market potential estimates. This integration of multiple analyses can help in identifying market opportunities and business competitiveness via product, business, and industry level analyses in the pre-competitive (pre-market launch) and competitive (on market) landscapes. Building on the team’s interdisciplinary experience of developing interactive dashboards for food and beverage industries, and microalga processes, this paper provides an overview of the framework, which was designed to guide businesses and researchers in an emerging microalgae industry through the complex landscape of product development along regulatory and commercial pathways. Full article

Objectives: This study aimed to determine whether surface wear, identified through the superimposition of intraoral scans (IOS), can predict subsurface damage progression detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) during fatigue testing of computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing (CAD/CAM) composite crowns. Methods: Monolithic CAD/CAM composite crowns (Brilliant Crios; $n=8$) were adhesively luted to standardized prepared human teeth and artificially aged by cyclic loading in a mouth-motion simulator (50–500 N, 2 Hz, 37 °C). Under phantom-head condition, IOS (surface wear) and handheld swept-source (SS)-OCT (subsurface damage) were performed before loading and after every 250,000 cycles. OCT crack depth/width were normalized to local thickness and cusp-tip distance; correspondence between IOS- and OCT-derived metrics at each timepoint was assessed with Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient ($\rho$) to test whether surface wear can predict subsurface damage under the given conditions. Results: All specimens survived without catastrophic failure, and both modalities revealed progressive damage from the earliest observation interval. OCT consistently showed higher defect percentages and larger dispersion (e.g., mean vertical defects (25.47 ± 4.97)% OCT vs. (4.36 ± 0.91)% IOS at T1 and (66.79 ± 19.53)% OCT vs. (7.78 ± 3.19)% IOS at T5). Across all timepoints, no statistically significant associations between IOS and OCT were observed (p = 0.146 to 0.955). Conclusions: Within the limitations of this exploratory, single-material in vitro study, restricted to a CAD/CAM composite (Brilliant Crios), surface-based monitoring alone did not reliably reflect subsurface damage progression. Clinically, this suggests that surface wear assessment may underestimate subsurface fatigue damage. Intraoral OCT may provide complementary, non-invasive information alongside routine IOS for individualized monitoring, but its added value needs to be confirmed in larger studies and other CAD/CAM composite materials and additional restorative material classes. Full article

Satellite image recognition increasingly relies on data collected by geographically distributed institutions, but centralizing geospatial imagery is often infeasible due to policy and privacy constraints. Federated learning enables collaborative training, yet standard aggregation (e.g., FedAvg) degrades under strong geographic non-IID shifts, and adding client-level differential privacy (DP) can further reduce utility—especially for rare land-cover classes—due to gradient clipping and injected noise. We propose FL-SPDP, a spatially modulated DP federated framework that leverages coarse spatial priors to reweight and aggregate client updates among geographically related clients, improving robustness to heterogeneity while preserving formal privacy guarantees. Experiments on SEN12MS and BigEarthNet show that FL-SPDP improves accuracy and macro-F1 at a fixed privacy budget ($\epsilon \le 3.5$, $\delta ={10}^{-5}$) and strengthens rare-class performance, demonstrating an effective privacy–utility trade-off for satellite image analysis. Full article

Polyglutamine expansion in Ataxin-2 (ATXN2) is responsible for rare, dominantly inherited Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 2 (SCA2). Together with its paralog Ataxin-2-like (ATXN2L), both proteins have received much interest, since the deletion of their yeast and fly orthologs alleviates TDP-43-triggered neurotoxicity in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis models. Their typical structure across evolution combines LSm with LSm-Associated Domains and a PAM2 motif. To understand the physiological regulation and functions of Ataxin-2 homologs, the phylogenesis of sequences was analyzed. Human ATXN2 harbors multiple alternative start codons, e.g., from an intrinsically disordered sequence (IDR) present since armadillo, or from the polyQ sequence that arose since amphibians, or from the LSm domain since primitive eukaryotes. Multiple smaller isoforms also exist across the C-terminus. Therapeutic knockdown of polyQ expansions in human ATXN2 should selectively target exon 1B. PolyQ repeats developed repeatedly, usually framed and often interrupted by (poly)Pro, originally near PAM2. The LSmAD sequence appeared in algae as the characteristic Ataxin-2 feature with strong conservation. Frequently, Ataxin-2 has added domains, likely due to transcriptional readthrough of neighbor genes during cell stress. These chimerisms show enrichment of rRNA processing; nutrient store mobilization; membrane strengthening via lipid, protein, and glycosylated components; and cell protrusions. Thus, any mutation of Ataxin-2 has complex effects, also affecting membrane resilience. Full article

The solar-driven conversion of CO₂ into long-chain (C₃₊) products offers a sustainable pathway to mitigate climate change, produce carbon-neutral fuels and value-added chemicals. Over the past few decades, significant advances have been achieved in CO₂ photoreduction; however, most systems still favor C₁ products (CO, CH₄) or C₂ intermediates. However, the synthesis of C₃₊ products poses a formidable challenge due to the complex multi-electron transfer steps required for C–C bond formation. This review provides a concise overview of recent progress in solar-driven photocatalytic and photothermal CO₂ reduction, with a specific focus on the formation of C₃₊ products. The fundamental principles are discussed, including the critical role of C–C coupling mechanisms and the stepwise reaction pathways for C₃₊ products. It highlights how the extended carbon chain length significantly increases the complexity and reduces selectivity, with the suppression of side reactions being a primary research objective. Key catalytic strategies, such as the use of copper-based materials, are examined for their unique ability to facilitate these demanding transformations. Finally, the major challenges are outlined, and a future outlook for this field is provided, with an emphasis on the need for advanced catalyst design and in situ characterization to unlock the potential of solar fuels. Full article

The concept of functional nutrition has garnered mounting attention, primarily due to growing evidence that specific dietary components have the capacity to provide health benefits that extend beyond the mere supply of basic nutrients. In this context, glucosinolate-rich species of the Brassicales order are of importance as a source of bioactive compounds, which exhibit antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and chemoprotective properties. The review identifies which Brassicales species may be considered as functional foods or functional ingredients. It does so by starting from their glucosinolate profile, summarizing their potential applications in disease prevention, and highlighting current strategies aimed at enhancing glucosinolate levels through agronomic practices and processing approaches. The potential applications of the main species of the Brassicales order in the prevention of cardiovascular, obesity-related and degenerative diseases, as well as in the development of functional foods, are highlighted. These species are considered both as ready-to-use functional foods and as functional ingredients that can be obtained through extraction or fermentation processes, including the valorization of agricultural waste. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by progressive cognitive decline, with amyloid beta oligomers (AβOs) emerging as the most neurotoxic species and acting as early triggers of cellular alterations. Before the appearance of other protein aggregates, AβOs disrupt the dynamics and stability of the neuronal cytoskeleton, a structure essential for maintaining neuronal morphology, axonal transport, and synaptic plasticity. Experimental evidence demonstrates that AβOs promote microtubule disassembly, Tau hyperphosphorylation, reduced kinesin levels, impaired axonal transport, and alterations in actin dynamics through the LIMK–cofilin signaling pathway. In addition, increased levels of neurofilament light chain have been identified as an early biomarker of axonal damage. Notably, these cytoskeletal disturbances arise in the absence of extensive neuronal death, underscoring the cytoskeleton as a critical early target in AD pathogenesis. In this review, we analyze cytoskeletal alterations induced by AβOs in neurons and discuss how these changes may contribute to disrupted neuronal communication, a defining early hallmark of AD pathology. Full article

In this paper, the novel electrochemical in situ synthesis process for H₂O₂, in which oxygen is in situ generated from water electrolysis powered by photovoltaic renewable energy and Mg²⁺ ions is added, is constructed by an ordinary Pt anode and a graphite or carbon felt cathode in a green, safe, low-cost, and high-yield way. The results show that the yields of hydrogen peroxide (YHP) for Mg(NO₃)₂ and MgSO₄ are all higher than that for light MgO and are above 19.8 mg/L. The optimal Mg²⁺ concentration of 30 mg/L, pH of 1, current density of 30 mA/cm², and cathodic immersion depth of 50 mm is determined, respectively. For solutions containing Mg²⁺, their YHPs are consistently higher than that of the Mg²⁺-free solution and properly adding Mg²⁺ into solutions can improve YHP. YHP for carbon felt cathodes is much higher than that for graphite plates, and the fluffy spatial structure of the cathode is beneficial to synthesis of H₂O₂. Additionally, YHP for pure oxygen blown into solution is the highest and 494.2 mg/L. Even if solar illumination intensity is very low, its YHP can reach to the same yield as high solar illumination intensity, too. In the meantime, the in situ synthesizing mechanism of H₂O₂ is suggested. Finally, their energy consumption and actual energy utilization efficiency are analyzed. The used method is feasible for the novel in situ synthesis of hydrogen peroxide. Full article

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by irreversible cognitive decline and synaptic dysfunction and represents the most prevalent etiology of dementia, accounting for an estimated 60–70% of all clinically diagnosed cases worldwide. The growing focus on microglia–neuron interactions in AD research highlights their diverse, region-specific responses, which are driven by the functional and pathological heterogeneity across different brain regions. Therefore, investigating the interactions between microglia and neurons is of crucial importance. To explore the regional heterogeneity of microglia–neuron crosstalk in AD, we integrated human single-nucleus RNA sequencing data from the prefrontal cortex (PFC), hippocampus (HPC), and occipital lobe (OL) provided by the ssREAD database. Our study delineated four microglial subtypes and uncovered a pseudotime trajectory activation trajectory leading to the disease-associated microglia (DAM) phenotype. The transition along this trajectory is driven and stabilized by a key molecular switch: the coordinated downregulation of inhibitory factors (e.g., LINGO1) and upregulation of immune-effector and antigen-presentation programs, which collectively establish the pro-inflammatory DAM state. Furthermore, we observed that each brain region displayed unique microglia–neuron communication patterns in response to AD pathology. The PFC and OL engage a THY1-ITGAX/ITGB2 signaling axis; the HPC predominantly utilizes the PTPRM pathway. Notably, THY1 dysregulation strongly correlates with pathology in the PFC, HPC, and OL, suggesting that microglia–neuron crosstalk in AD possesses both heterogeneity and commonality. The main contribution of this study is the systematic characterization of region-specific microglia-neuron interactions and the identification of THY1 as a potential mediator that may be targeted therapeutically to modulate microglial function in affected brain regions. Full article

Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) are widely used in food systems; among them, bacteriocin-producing strains have attracted attention for their potential in the biopreservation of dairy products. This study started from the detection of bacteriocin-encoding genes in eight probiotic Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. mesenteroides strains, previously isolated, identified, and characterized for antimicrobial activity. Results confirmed the presence of bacteriocin genes across the strains, with Ln.F5 harboring both mesB and lcnA genes, and three other strains, including the Ln.M14 strain, exclusively carrying the lcnA gene. The two strains, Ln.F5 and Ln.M14, were used, in single and mixed cultures, for the first time, as adjunct cultures in a model cheese. Their impact against Listeria spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus, and Brochothrix thermosphacta, and on volatile organic compounds (VOCs), during ripening and storage, was evaluated. Results showed high viability (9.2 Log CFU/g) of Leuconostoc spp. in model cheese, up to 60 days of storage, and Pulsed-Field Gel Electrophoresis (PFGE) profiles of the re-isolated bacteria confirmed the survival of the added strains. Furthermore, results indicated the inhibition of E. coli and Listeria spp. started from the 15th day of ripening in samples differently inoculated with the two Leuconostoc strains. Listeria spp. was completely inhibited starting from 15 days by Ln.M14, in single culture. The complete inhibition of S. aureus, M. luteus, and B. thermosphacta was detected after 30 days of ripening in samples differently inoculated with Ln.F5 and Ln.M14. The VOC analyses revealed more complex aromatic profiles in samples inoculated with Leuconostoc strains, which, along with the development of cheese eyes, confirmed the effect of the Leuconostoc strains in enhancing quality traits of cheeses. Full article

Background: Tau protein is a nonspecific marker of neurodegeneration, and its phosphorylated form, ptau-181, is specifically associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Calculating the ratio of the phosphorylated form to total tau protein can help distinguish AD from other tauopathies or neurodegeneration, as well as reduce the impact of individual differences in total tau protein levels. This also allows one to monitor and compare the dynamics of changes within the same patient. Methods: Two SPRi biosensors were constructed, sensitive to the proteins described (total tau and ptau-181) for plasma determinations. The use of these biosensors requires prior sensor validation, during which specific parameters of the analytical method are established. Tests of the optimal concentration of the receptor layer in which particular antibodies were immobilized showed that the optimal concentration for total tau protein determinations was 1000 ng/mL. For ptau-181, it was 90 ng/mL. Biosensor layer formation was confirmed by analysis over a wide angle range, which enabled the generation of SPR curves. The dynamic range of the sensors is 1–50 pg/mL for total tau and 1–100 pg/mL for ptau-181. The limits of detection are 0.18 pg/mL and 0.037 pg/mL, respectively. Low standard deviation (SD) and coefficient of variation (CV) values indicate the good precision and accuracy of the results obtained using the SPRi biosensors. Specificity testing confirmed that no interferents influenced the assay. The method is therefore suitable for analyzing biological materials, such as blood plasma. Results: Proteins were thus measured in the blood plasma of AD patients and controls. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in the concentrations of tau and ptau-181 protein between the two groups. The calculated ptau/total tau ratio for both sample groups also demonstrated high statistical significance. Conclusions: This suggests that a high ratio may be characteristic of AD. However, more extensive analysis is needed to obtain cutoff values. The ROC curves indicate that both biosensors have good diagnostic utility, with lower specificity for total tau. Full article