Search Results (634)

This paper examines whether monetary policy shocks affect CO₂ emissions over time in Brazil. We show that CO₂ emissions decline persistently following contractionary monetary policy shocks. The relationship between monetary policy and CO₂ emissions in Brazil is assessed through two channels: trade openness and exchange rates. The theoretical model illustrates how monetary policy affects the domestic economy through the real exchange rate. An application of a Global VAR (GVAR) to the Brazilian economy from 1996 to 2018 investigates the effects of monetary policy in Brazil (or in the U.S.) on real GDP and, subsequently, on CO₂ emissions. A contractionary monetary policy shock in Brazil causes a short-run appreciation of the currency, lower output in the long run, and lower CO₂ emissions (−0.02% after 24 months). A contractionary U.S. monetary policy shock also causes a decline in the stock market and a short-run depreciation of the currency. This shock leads to lower output in the long run, reducing CO₂ emissions by −0.01% after 20 months. Full article

With advancements in simulation technology, fluid–thermal interaction (FTI) has become a vital tool in machinery powertrain development. Traditional engine cooling systems, with mechanically coupled components like water pumps and fans, lack adaptive cooling control. Electronic cooling systems, however, use variable-speed components to enhance performance. Combining FTI simulations with intelligent optimization algorithms offers a novel approach to designing control strategies for these systems. This study establishes a multi-objective optimization model for pump and fan speed control in electronic cooling systems. Using MATLAB/Simulink 2018 and Fluent 2022R1, co-simulations were performed, and an elite-strategy-based NSGA-II algorithm was implemented. Different weights were assigned to optimization objectives based on engine performance requirements. The results provide fitted functions for heat exchange capacity and cylinder liner temperature versus flow rates, along with optimal solutions for a 65 kW engine under three weight configurations. These findings support control strategy design and demonstrate the integration of FTI with genetic algorithms. Full article

The rates of CO₂ mass deposition onto cryogenically cooled surfaces are crucial for CO₂ removal processes that rely on cryogenics. A dedicated experimental setup was constructed to measure CO₂ mass deposition rates under controlled conditions. Experiments were carried out with both pure CO₂ and CO₂/N₂ mixtures, growing frost layers up to 8 mm thick. Results demonstrated that heat transfer through the frost layer significantly slows down the mass deposition process. Furthermore, it was found that the addition of N₂ to the gas phase has a considerable influence on mass deposition rates, because it introduces an additional mass transfer resistance toward the frost surface. To describe the experimentally observed behavior, a frost growth model based on mass and energy balances was developed. Expressions for the frost density as a function of the frost temperature and for the effective frost conductivity as a function of the frost density were derived and implemented in the model. When accounting for drift fluxes, the model accurately captures the behavior observed in experiments. The findings of this work highlight the significant impact of heat transfer limitations on processes that accumulate a thick solid CO₂ layer, such as continuously cooled heat exchangers. Conversely, technologies like cryogenically refrigerated packed beds do not develop a thick solid CO₂ layer; calculations showed that a frost layer of 3.24·10⁻⁵ m is formed, resulting in a Biot number well below 0.01, indicating that heat transfer in the frost layer is not limiting. Full article

Residential space heating in Northern Europe requires long-duration thermal storage to align summer solar gains with winter heating demand. This study investigates a compact sand-based seasonal thermal energy storage integrated with flat-plate solar collectors for an A+ class single-family house in Kaunas, Lithuania. An iterative co-design couples collector sizing with the seasonal charging target and a 3D COMSOL Multiphysics model of a 300 m³ sand-filled, phenolic foam-insulated system, with a 1D conjugate model of a copper pipe heat-exchanger network. The system was charged from March to September and discharged from October to February under measured-weather boundary conditions across three consecutive annual cycles. During the first year, the storage supplied the entire winter heating demand, though 35.2% of the input energy was lost through conduction, resulting in an end-of-cycle average sand temperature slightly below the initial state. In subsequent years, both the peak sand temperature and the residual end-of-cycle temperature increased by 3.7 °C and 3.2 °C, respectively, by the third year, indicating cumulative thermal recovery and improved retention. Meanwhile, the peak conductive losses rate decreased by 98 W, and cumulative annual losses decreased by 781.4 kWh in the third year, with an average annual reduction of 4.15%. These results highlight the progressive self-conditioning of the surrounding soil and demonstrate that a low-cost, sand-based storage system can sustain a complete seasonal heating supply with declining losses, offering a robust and scalable approach for residential building heating applications. Full article

Soil co-contamination with cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) poses serious threats to environmental safety and public health. This study investigates the enhancement effect and underlying mechanism of the biodegradable chelator Ethylenediamine-N,N′-disuccinic acid (EDDS) on phytoremediation of Cd-Zn contaminated soil using Sedum lineare. The results demonstrate that EDDS application (3.65 g·L⁻¹) effectively alleviated metal-induced phytotoxicity by enhancing chlorophyll synthesis, activating antioxidant enzymes (catalase and dismutase), regulating S-nitrosoglutathione reductase activity, and promoting leaf protein synthesis, thereby improving photosynthetic performance and cellular integrity. The combined treatment significantly increased the bioavailability of Cd and Zn in soil, promoted their transformation into exchangeable fraction, and resulted in removal rates of 30.8% and 28.9%, respectively. EDDS also modified the interaction patterns between heavy metals and essential nutrients, particularly the competitive relationships through selective chelation between Cd/Zn and Fe/Mn during plant uptake. Soil health was substantially improved, as evidenced by reduced electrical conductivity, enhanced cation exchange capacity, and enriched beneficial microbial communities including Sphingomonadaceae. Based on the observed ion antagonism during metal uptake and translocation, this study proposes a novel “Nutrient Regulation Assisted Remediation” strategy to optimize heavy metal accumulation and improve remediation efficiency through rhizosphere nutrient management. These findings confirm the EDDS–S. lineare system as an efficient and sustainable solution for remediation of Cd–Zn co-contaminated soils. Full article

Youth unemployment remains one of the most persistent and structurally sensitive challenges in emerging economies, particularly in environments characterized by macroeconomic volatility and frequent shocks. This study investigates the dynamics and forecasting performance of youth unemployment in Turkey by adopting a symmetry-based multivariate framework that explicitly contrasts equilibrium-oriented and asymmetric temporal behaviors. Using monthly data covering the period 2009–2024, youth unemployment is modeled jointly with key macroeconomic indicators, including economic growth, inflation, overall unemployment, labor force participation, migration, exchange rates, and consumer confidence. The empirical strategy integrates traditional econometric models and modern machine learning approaches under a unified and leakage-free evaluation protocol. Stationarity and long-run properties of the series are examined using unit root tests and the Bayer–Hanck cointegration approach, followed by long-run coefficient estimation via FMOLS and DOLS. Forecasting performance is then compared across VARIMA, Prophet, and deep learning models (RNN, LSTM, and GRU), including both vanilla and hyperparameter-tuned specifications. The results reveal a clear performance hierarchy. VARIMA models, particularly the VARIMA (p = 2, q = 0) specification, consistently outperform all alternatives by a wide margin, achieving exceptionally low forecast errors. This finding indicates that youth unemployment in Türkiye is predominantly governed by symmetric co-movements and long-run equilibrium relationships among macroeconomic variables. Prophet and GRU models capture short-term and regime-sensitive fluctuations more flexibly, reflecting asymmetric temporal responses, but at the cost of higher forecast dispersion. In contrast, RNN and LSTM models exhibit limited generalization capability and are prone to overfitting in the small-sample macroeconomic context. As a result, this study positions the estimation of youth unemployment as both an econometric challenge and a symmetry-based analytical problem, offering new methodological and conceptual insights consistent with a fresh perspective. Full article

Oxyfertigation with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) has been successfully applied in several crops and production systems, but its use in mature citrus orchards under no-tillage conditions and semi-arid Mediterranean environments remains scarcely studied. This study aimed to evaluate the physiological responses of adult citrus trees and the agronomic performance of a mature citrus orchard subjected to chemical oxyfertigation based on the application of H₂O₂ in irrigation water as an oxygen source for the root zone. The experiment was conducted over four consecutive seasons (2018–2021) on adult ‘Ortanique’ hybrid mandarin trees grown in an orchard located in Torre Pacheco (Murcia, Spain). Two treatments were established: a ‘Control’ (0 mg L⁻¹ of H₂O₂) and an ‘OXY’ treatment (50–100 mg L⁻¹ of H₂O₂ applied throughout the growing season). Oxyfertigation significantly increased the dissolved oxygen in irrigation water and soil oxygen diffusion rate, with treatment and treatment × time effects showing greater oxygenation under conditions favoring transient root-zone hypoxia. Soil CO₂ and H₂O vapor fluxes exhibited marked seasonal dynamics but no consistent treatment effect, and soil salinity and macro- and micronutrient contents were not significantly altered. At the plant level, oxyfertigation episodically enhanced leaf gas exchange and transiently improved the water status, but did not produce a sustained increase in leaf-level water use efficiency. In contrast, OXY trees showed greater pruning biomass, more fruits (+18%), higher cumulative yield (+13%), and significantly higher crop water use efficiency (YWUE) while the mean fruit weight and most quality attributes were governed by interannual climatic variability. In summary, oxyfertigation acted as a complementary and safe agronomic practice that improved rhizosphere oxygenation and supported modest gains in fruit load and YWUE in mature citrus orchards. Full article

Background: Emerging Asian economies face a critical policy dilemma: macroeconomic and sustainability factors affect high-performing and struggling logistics exporters in fundamentally different ways. Methods: Analysing transportation trade data from China, South Korea, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia (2000–2023) using Panel Quantile Autoregressive Distributed Lag (P-QARDL) methodology, this study investigates asymmetric relationships between macroeconomic indicators (real GDP, inflation, real effective exchange rate), sustainability variables (energy intensity, energy prices, CO₂ emissions), and logistics performance measured through transportation trade flows. Results: The results reveal striking performance-dependent heterogeneities that conventional approaches overlook. Economic growth provides 55% larger benefits to high performers (0.345) versus strugglers (0.222), confirming scale advantages. Energy constraints intensify for successful exporters, with energy intensity penalties 12% larger in upper quantiles. CO₂ emissions correlate positively with logistics performance, with effects doubling from lower (0.142) to upper quantiles (0.341), highlighting an intensifying sustainability trade-off. Error correction operates 39% faster during high-performance periods. Conclusions: These asymmetric relationships challenge one-size-fits-all policies, necessitating targeted energy efficiency interventions for high performers and growth-enabling support for struggling exporters. Full article

Training system selection critically influences peach orchard productivity through its effects on canopy light environment, physiological responses, and fruit quality. This study evaluated two contrasting training systems: a 2D planar fruiting wall system (Four-Axis, 1020 trees ha⁻¹) versus a 3D Quad-V system (590 trees ha⁻¹) using two peach cultivars, fresh table ‘Platibelle’ and clingstone ‘Mirel’ in Central Macedonia, Greece. Comprehensive physiological measurements including leaf gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence, and fruit quality parameters were assessed across two canopy zones (lower 0–1.2 m vs. upper 1.8–3.3 m) during the 2023 and 2024 growing seasons. Results demonstrated that the 2D system achieved superior leaf area index (LAI), but lower light interception, leading to enhanced photosynthetic performance with 15–20% higher net photosynthetic rates and improved water-use efficiency compared to the 3D system. Notably, the photosynthetic apparatus of fruiting wall trees maintained significantly greater efficiency (6.26 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹) in the lower canopy zone than in Quad-V trees (3.6 μmol CO₂ m⁻² s⁻¹), indicating a more uniform and functional light environment. The 2D system produced fruits with improved flesh firmness and color development in ‘Mirel’, while higher dry matter in ‘Platibelle’. Correlation analysis revealed that Four-Axis trees enhanced the interdependence among thermal, gas exchange, and compositional traits, reflecting a shift from morphology-driven to metabolically integrated canopy function. In terms of yield, fruiting walls achieved higher efficiency and total production (Mt ha⁻¹) in ‘Mirel’, supporting their adoption to enhance productivity and peach fruit quality in Mediterranean conditions. Full article

The antagonistic geochemical behaviors of cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) in co-contaminated soils complicate their simultaneous remediation. This study aimed to develop a synergistic immobilization strategy by converting Spirulina residue into a magnetic biochar-layered double hydroxide composite (FSRBL). The composite was applied to both acidic red and calcareous black soils, and its effects on Cd and As, immobilization efficiency, and ecotoxicity were evaluated. The results showed that FSRBL effectively transforms Cd and As from mobile fractions to stable residual forms. At a 2.5% application rate, FSRBL achieved remarkable immobilization efficiencies of 39.2% for Cd and 57.5% for As, representing effectiveness 3.55 and 5.97 times higher than that of unmodified biochar, respectively. A dose–response relationship between the application amount of FSRBL and the immobilization efficiency of As and Cd was observed and further quantified using a logistic model. The results indicate that while increased FSRBL application enhances immobilization efficiency, the marginal benefit of each additional unit diminishes as the application rate increases, demonstrating a significant diminishing marginal effect. According to the ecotoxicity assessment experiment, the soil leachate from FSRBL-amended soil remarkably decreased the ecological toxicity to rice (Oryza sativa L.). Mechanistic investigations employing SEM/TEM-EDS, XRD, and XPS revealed that the synergistic immobilization could be ascribed to the multi-component cooperation within FSRBL, which resolved the conflicting pH/Eh requirements for the immobilization of Cd and As: (1) the LDH phase efficiently immobilized As oxyanions through anion exchange and isomorphic substitution; (2) the magnetic Fe phase concurrently immobilized Cd²⁺ and As oxyanions via redox transformation and coprecipitation, resulting in the formation of precipitates such as Fe/Ca/Cd–As(V). This work demonstrates a feasible approach to upcycle biomass waste into a value-added material for sustainable remediation of Cd–As co-contaminated soil. Full article

Background: Healthcare communication often relies on complex digital infrastructures, yet clinicians increasingly adopt general-purpose Instant Messaging Apps (IMAs) such as WhatsApp^® to meet unmet needs. DonnaRosa, an Italian community of breast cancer specialists founded in 2017, is a Community of Practice (CoP), where experts exchange second opinions, guidelines, and trial opportunities. This paper examines its origins, practices, and implications. Methods: A mixed-methods design was applied: (1) qualitative analysis of chat logs to identify interaction patterns and rules; (2) a 2024 online survey of 54 members (92.5% response rate) exploring demographics, usage, and perceived value; (3) ongoing semi-structured interviews with founders and participants to reconstruct history, recruitment, and professional impact. Results: The group has grown through personal invitations, creating a friendly network of oncologists. Communication is concise, colloquial, and collegial. Activities focus on case discussions, reassurance, interpretation of guidelines, and exchange of research opportunities. This article presents data from an online survey conducted in 2024, showing that the group is widely used for second opinions, often consulted even on weekends and holidays, and perceived as a source of professional support and learning. Members report that participation frequently changes or refines their clinical judgement, especially when guidelines are incomplete or ambiguous. The community also promotes resilience, reduces professional isolation, supports informal collaboration in research projects, and encourages interaction on organisational and healthcare management issues. Conclusions:DonnaRosa illustrates how informal IMAs can evolve into robust infrastructures of care and professional solidarity, complementing formal systems. In the era of artificial intelligence, CoPs like DonnaRosa may become even more relevant: AI tools, especially large language models, can accelerate literature retrieval and data synthesis, while the CoP provides the critical, experience-based interpretation needed for safe and meaningful application. Such a dual infrastructure—technological and human—offers a promising path for oncology, where complexity requires both computational breadth and the depth of expert clinical judgement. Taken together, these findings and the evolving role of AI in clinical communication underscore the need for oncology societies to develop governance frameworks that ensure the safe, accountable, and clinically appropriate use of instant-messaging tools in professional practice. Full article

Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma (chRCC) is a distinct subtype of non–clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ncRCC), arising from intercalated cells of the distal nephron collecting ducts. No standard treatments are specifically approved for chRCC, which is further hindered by lack of a universally accepted grading system. This study sought to find molecular drivers that may aid in the diagnosis or development of treatments for chRCC. A retrospective analysis of chRCC was conducted using data from the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Project Genomics Evidence Neoplasia Information Exchange (GENIE) repository, accessed through cBioPortal (version 17.0-public) on 21 July 2025. The study examined recurrent somatic mutations and assessed co-occurrence with Benjamini–Hochberg False Discovery Rate (FDR) correction. Additional analyses evaluated mutation by sex and race, with significance set at p < 0.05. The cohort included 180 tumor samples from 170 chRCC patients. Most patients were adults (n = 167, 98.2%) and White (n = 115, 67.6%). Recurrent alterations occurred in genes part of the p53, PI3K/mTOR, Hippo, and NOTCH signaling pathway. Exploratory demographic analyses identified isolated single-patient mutations in select genes across sex and race; however, these rare events are not interpretable as population-level differences. This study provides a comprehensive genomic profile of chRCC across multiple demographic categories. Full article

Combining leaf gas exchange with chlorophyll fluorescence, this study quantified the effects of soil water content (SWC) on mesophyll conductance (g_m) and biochemical parameters in 8-year-old pear trees across three soil textures [clay (CS), sandy (SS), loam (LS)], each subjected to three irrigation levels (100%FI, 75%FI, 50%FI). Results showed that SWC differed significantly, with CS > LS > SS, and that the difference in SWC in loam soil was the most obvious among different irrigation levels. The leaf water content (LWC) of SS was higher than that of LS and CS, and SS_50%FI showed 7.53% and 13.30% greater LWC compared to LS_50%FI and CS_50%FI, respectively. Specific leaf area (SLA) peaked at CS_75%FI and SS_100%FI. Soil texture and irrigation level had significant interactive effects on g_m, the product of light absorption coefficient and light energy partitioning ratio (α·β), leaf apparent CO₂ compensation point, dark respiration rate under light, and photosynthetic biochemical parameters. Differences in the values of α·β among the nine treatments were significant and the maximum values in the three soil textures were 0.660 (LS_75%FI), 0.366 (SS_100%FI) and 0.462 (CS_50%FI), respectively. The most sensitive treatment of g_m, responding to photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), was SS_100%FI and the maximal g_m under saturated PAR reached 0.271 molCO₂·m⁻²·s⁻¹, increasing 2.2-fold and 8.8-fold compared to that of SS_75%FI and SS_50%FI, respectively. An underestimation of 26.4% to an overestimation of 30.3% for g_m and an underestimation of 28.8% to an overestimation of 15.5% were observed for biochemical parameters if the empirical value (0.425) of α·β was adopted. Our findings indicated that the maximum leaf g_m could be obtained at 75%FI for loam soil, 100% FI for sandy soil, and 50% FI for clay soil, respectively. Full article

Pressurized chemical looping combustion (PCLC) provides the benefit of simplifying the carbon capture process by generating a flue gas stream with high CO₂ concentration. However, flue gas polishing is required to remove the residual impurities for pipeline transport. The intensified heat exchanger reactor (IHXR) is a promising method for flue gas polishing while maximizing useful heat recovery that incorporates alternating catalytic packed beds with interstage cooling via printed circuit heat exchangers (PCHE). This work offers a design process for an IHXR capable of polishing a flue gas stream from a 100 MWth natural gas-fired PCLC unit while recovering 1.6 MW of useful heat in the form of saturated steam at 180 °C. Simulation work performed in Aspen HYSYS was used to determine the polished flue gas outlet species concentrations as well as the required number and size of the packed bed sections. The PCHEs for interstage cooling were sized via a thermal circuit approach. The final IHXR consists of six packed beds at 0.06 m in length and five PCHEs at 0.265 m in length, combining to a total IHXR length of 1.685 m. The height and width of the IHXR is shared between the packed beds and PCHEs at 0.91 m and 0.45 m, respectively. The resulting IHXR is capable of recovering heat at a rate of approximately 2.3 MW/m³. Full article

Unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) swarms have shown great potential in large-scale IoT (Internet of Things) and smart agriculture applications, particularly for cooperative monitoring and multi-target tracking in field environments. However, most existing coordination strategies assume ideal communication conditions, overlooking realistic network impairments such as congestion, packet loss, and latency. These impairments disrupt the timely exchange of information between UAVs and the ground base station, leading to delayed or lost control signals. As a result, coordination quality deteriorates and tracking performance is severely degraded in real-world deployments. To address this gap, we propose CSOOC (Communication-State Driven Online–Offline Coordination with Congestion Control), a hybrid control architecture that integrates centralized learning-based decision-making with decentralized rule-based policies to adapt UAV behaviors according to real-time network states. CSOOC consists of three key components: (1) an online module that enables centralized coordination under reliable communication, (2) an offline profit-driven mobility strategy based on local Gaussian maps for autonomous target tracking during communication loss, and (3) a congestion control mechanism based on STAR(Stratified Transmission and RTS/CTS), which combines temporal transmission desynchronization and RTS/CTS handshaking to enhance uplink reliability. We establish a unified co-simulation paradigm that connects network communication with swarm control and swarm coordination behavior. Experiments demonstrate that CSOOC achieves an average observation rate of 39.7%, surpassing baseline algorithms by 4.4–11.13%, while simultaneously improving network stability through significantly higher packet delivery ratios under congested conditions. These results demonstrate that CSOOC effectively bridges the gap between algorithmic performance in simulation and practical UAV swarm operations in communication-constrained environments. Full article