Search Results (102)

Growing environmental concerns over petroleum-based plastics have increased interest in sustainable and biodegradable alternatives such as polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB). PHB is a naturally produced biopolymer synthesized by microorganisms and is widely recognized for its biodegradability, biocompatibility, renewability, and thermoplastic properties. Despite these advantages, PHB use remains limited by brittleness, high crystallinity, low thermal stability, a narrow processing window, and high production costs. This review discusses the production, properties, biodegradation behavior, and applications of PHB, with a focus on strategies to improve its performance. Modification approaches, including copolymerization, polymer blending, filler reinforcement, plasticization, and hybrid composite formulation, are critically reviewed to evaluate their effects on the thermal, mechanical, and processing behavior of PHB-based materials. The review also highlights recent developments in additive manufacturing, particularly fused deposition modeling/fused filament fabrication (FDM/FFF) for the extrusion of biodegradable PHB composite filaments. In addition, the biodegradation of PHB under various environmental conditions, including soil, compost, freshwater, marine, aerobic, and anaerobic environments, are discussed. Current challenges, research gaps, commercialization barriers, and future opportunities related to sustainable feedstocks, advanced composites, additive manufacturing, and circular economy integration are addressed. Overall, PHB shows strong potential as a sustainable alternative for packaging, biomedical, agricultural, and three-dimensional (3D) printing applications. Full article

Background: The chromosomal microdeletion syndrome 2q13 is characterized by craniofacial dysmorphism, developmental delay, intellectual disability, autism spectrum disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cardiac abnormalities, and seizures. Case Presentation: In this study, we present a descriptive genomic observation of a teenage boy presenting with epilepsy, intellectual disability, and mild facial dysmorphism, found to carry a 48.55 kb 2q13 microdeletion restricted to the BUB1 locus alongside a concurrent 11q21 microdeletion. While his clinical features overlap with the 2q13 microdeletion spectrum, the exact pathogenic contribution of each variant remains a subject of hypothesis due to the lack of parental inheritance data. Conclusions: Further research is necessary to ascertain the impact of the concurrence of small deletions on these disorders. This case underscores the clinical complexity introduced by compound minor copy number variations and emphasizes the value of molecular cytogenetics in evaluating idiopathic neurodevelopmental disorders. Full article

Inspiratory Muscle Training (IMT) is a well-established intervention for enhancing respiratory strength; however, its clinical efficacy is frequently compromised by low adherence and high dropout rates due to the repetitive nature of traditional protocols. While screen-based gamified biofeedback is the most common digital training approach, these non-immersive (NI) conditions often lead to split attention and lack the controlled, private environments necessary for optimal engagement and exercise quality. This study evaluated the impact of immersion level on respiratory performance and user experience by comparing two conditions in gamified Virtual Reality (VR) environments: fully immersive (FI) and NI. The IMT was performed using an instrumented threshold load device, where real-time mouth pressure drove gamified environments designed to guide respiratory patterns. The results demonstrate that perceived effort and fatigue remained consistent across immersion levels; however, the FI condition provided a higher level of immersion despite a reported reduction in breathing control. Notably, 73% of participants found the FI condition more motivating, with higher scores in focus (60%), user preference (63%), and efficacy (40%). Crucially, increased task complexity widened the performance gap between immersion levels. In scenarios requiring higher respiratory muscle workload, significant differences emerged in breathing regulation, specifically regarding the inspiratory duty cycle, favoring the NI condition. Specifically, the NI condition exhibited a higher inspiratory duty cycle and higher scores compared to the FI condition. These findings suggest that while FI significantly boosts user motivation, the synergy between the head-mounted display (HMD) and the physical demands of the threshold device may disrupt respiratory regulation during high-effort tasks. This highlights a critical design trade-off between immersion levels and physiological precision that must be addressed in the development of future digital pulmonary interventions. Full article

Current models of dementia care often perpetuate the legacies of colonization, which highlights the need for a culturally congruent approach. This research describes the necessary components to co-develop a freely available Indigenous-centered dementia model of care in partnership with Indigenous individuals living with dementia, their families, and communities. To prioritize ethical and decolonial research approaches, sequential focus groups were used alongside Keeoukaywin (The Visiting Way)—an Indigenous methodology deeply rooted in Métis and Cree ways of knowing—guided by a group of advisors and Elders. The data were co-analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis guided by Indigenous principles. Three themes were generated: Indigenization, Personalization, and the Intersection of Challenges and Innovations, to illustrate how dementia care can be operationalized and adapted to various cultural and care contexts. This research offers a foundation for developing dementia care that truly aligns with Indigenous ways of doing. Full article

Understanding moose calving space use in disturbed landscapes can inform forestry and wildlife management. GPS collars were deployed on 89 female moose between 2018 and 2022 in the Cree traditional territory of Eeyou Istchee in northern Quebec, Canada. We compared space use and fidelity during a 7-day period following video- and movement-estimated parturition dates to equivalent period measures in late winter and summer. We also evaluated calving site selection comparing the use and availability of terrain, land cover, road density, and fire and forestry disturbance. Female space use during the 7-day post-calving period was confined to 0.04 km², comparable to 7-day space use in winter, but smaller than 7-day space use in summer. Females observed calving across multiple seasons expressed low calving site fidelity, calving a median distance of 4.00 km from previously used sites, which was lower than summer range fidelity and similar to winter range fidelity. No differences were observed in calving site space use and fidelity between a southern forestry-affected area and a northern fire-affected area or with the extent of disturbance. Female moose exhibited individual variability in calving site selection, with overall preferences for elevated areas with mixed-wood or broadleaf forests and low road densities. Females were not observed calving in areas disturbed by forestry or fires within the last year, but some females preferentially selected 10- to 15-year-old burns as calving sites. Because female moose used and remained highly localized around dispersed, annually variable calving sites, protection of moose calving habitat should move beyond the specific sites where moose are observed calving to the general habitats preferentially used by moose during this critical life history stage. Full article

This article brings visual thinking into the speculative fiction classroom, drawing on critical autism studies and on work on Indigenous futurism. It is the collaborative work of a neurotypical academic and an artist on the autism spectrum. Using one Canadian short story by a member of the Norway House Cree Nation, David A. Robertson, as a sample primary source, the project offers strategies for developing a multimodal classroom through assigning visual close readings as forms of literary criticism and critical thinking. This project aims to show the value of thinking in pictures as a respectful tool for both decolonization work in the classroom and for the encouragement of student creative work. Focused on a lesbian love story, the project presents critical love in the academy as queer and creative. Full article

Background: Compound muscle action potential (CMAP) parameters provide objective information on peripheral neuromuscular function, yet comparisons between track athletes and sedentary individuals remain limited, particularly when stratified by sex. This exploratory study examined whether CMAP parameters differ between sprinters and sedentary controls, with a secondary descriptive analysis of female middle-distance runners. Methods: A total of 48 participants (27 females, 21 males) aged 15 to 28 years were recruited by convenience from a restricted-access athletic population. The main comparisons focused on sprinters versus sex-matched sedentary controls, analyzed separately in females (9 sprinters, 10 controls) and males (10 sprinters, 11 controls). Female middle-distance runners (n = 8) were retained as an exploratory subgroup. Bilateral peroneal nerve conduction studies were performed in the extensor digitorum brevis. Outcomes included latency, amplitude, nerve conduction velocity, and CMAP duration. Main comparisons used Welch’s t-tests, supplemented by Mann–Whitney U tests. Effect sizes (Hedges’ g) and 95% confidence intervals were reported. A BMI-adjusted model examined whether the main female finding remained after accounting for BMI. Results: Female sprinters showed significantly higher right-sided CMAP amplitude than sedentary females (Welch p = 0.017; Hedges’ g = 1.32; 95% CI of the mean difference, 0.68 to 5.44 mV), supported by non-parametric testing (p = 0.025). The group effect remained significant after BMI adjustment. No other comparisons reached statistical significance. In males, no significant differences were observed. Conclusions: The main finding was a higher right-sided CMAP amplitude in female sprinters compared with sedentary controls, reasonably consistent across complementary parametric, non-parametric, and BMI-adjusted analyses. Given the small sample and exploratory design, these findings warrant cautious interpretation and replication in larger studies. Full article

In Canada, Indigenous communities have been disproportionately flooded. Specifically, Fort Albany First Nation (FN) located on a flood plain near the mouth of the Albany River in subarctic Ontario, Canada, has been evacuated frequently due to flooding or the threat of flooding―even though dikes were constructed in the late 1990s to safeguard the community. Thus, a fundamental question needs to be asked: Why is Fort Albany FN located on a flood plain in the first place? We answer the question through an Indigenous environmental justice lens using document and archival research in the context of the treaty making process between Fort Albany FN and the British Crown, and the establishment of reserves. In brief, procedural issues were noted, as there was no transparency in reserve choice at the time of signing the treaty, and during the actual surveying of the reserve boundaries with certain types of land being excluded from reserve locations, unbeknownst to the FNs peoples. The Cree were also misled into believing that they would retain access to their whole traditional homeland―and not be confined to reserve land―the Cree believed that they only agreed to share the land. Historically, the Cree harmonized with the seasons and would not be residing in the Albany River floodplain during river freeze-up and during river break-up―adaptive behaviour to avoid flooding. Harmonizing with the environment had allowed the mobile Cree to live successfully with the annual flooding of the Albany River for millennia, until being forced to live permanently on reserve land by the colonial government. Nonetheless, the Cree still sustain their cultural worldview acknowledging the Cree cycle of life. The way forward for Fort Albany First Nation will be either relocation to high ground or trying to tame nature by reinforcing the existing dikes—or some novel combination of both based on two worldviews. Full article

Glass fiber reinforced polymers (GFRPs) have drawn significant attention given their lightweight, mechanical resistance and tunable properties through constituent selection. Due to environmental concerns, research efforts have focused on incorporating sustainable materials, such as bio-epoxy resins, to reduce the ecological impact of GFRPs. This study characterizes a GFRP containing a bio-epoxy resin matrix, various loadings of titanium dioxide (TiO₂) nanoparticles, and a stabilized arrangement of glass fiber. The unreinforced composite exhibited a tensile strength and modulus of 214 MPa, and 13 GPa, respectively, and a flexural strength and modulus of 375 MPa and 14.5 GPa, respectively. The addition of TiO₂ produced an improvement in mechanical response for all the composites. The formulation with 1 wt.% TiO₂ showed the best tensile response with an improvement of 13% and 14% for its tensile strength, and modulus, respectively; meanwhile, the composites with 2 wt.% TiO₂ attained an improvement of 19% and 40% for the flexural strength and modulus, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed significant changes in the fracture mechanism of the composites, while energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed an even nanoparticle distribution. Additionally, machine learning (ML) models were developed to predict the mechanical response as a function of the TiO₂ content. Full article

The coordinated development of the rural economy and the ecological environment remains a central challenge in China’s rural revitalization agenda. Against this backdrop, the rapid expansion of the digital economy (DE) has the potential to reshape traditional development pathways and ease the longstanding tension between economic growth and environmental sustainability. However, existing studies have predominantly examined the economic or environmental effects of digitalization in isolation, leaving its role in fostering their coordinated development largely unexplored. Using balanced panel data for 30 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2021, this paper constructs an index of the coupling coordinated development of the rural economy–environment (CREE) and employs a two-way fixed-effects framework, complemented by mediation analysis, panel threshold regression, and a spatial Durbin model, to examine the impact of the DE on CREE and its transmission mechanisms. The results show that the DE significantly enhances CREE on average. This positive effect, however, is non-linear and conditional: it emerges only after rural educational attainment exceeds a critical threshold, and its marginal contribution diminishes as the level of digital development increases. Mechanism analyses indicate that the DE promotes CREE primarily by stimulating technological innovation and advancing urbanization, while improvements in the structure of human capital further strengthen this relationship. Spatial econometric evidence reveals pronounced spillover effects of the DE on CREE across regions, with spillovers based on economic distance outweighing those associated with geographic proximity. By adopting a coupling perspective that integrates economic and environmental dimensions, this paper clarifies the non-linear dynamics, transmission channels, and spatial diffusion processes through which the DE contributes to rural green development. The findings underscore the importance of strengthening rural education foundations, deepening the application of digital technologies, and enhancing regional coordination to fully harness the DE’s role in promoting coordinated economy–environment development. Full article

Semitransparent perovskite photovoltaic (sPV) covers offer an attractive route for agrivoltaics, but their spectrally selective transmittance must be validated on plants cultivated under panel or in simulated conditions. Here, an AVA–MAPI perovskite module transmission profile was replicated using a programmable multi-channel LED platform and compared with a Reference McCree-adapted LED spectrum at identical photon flux density. Two lettuce cultivars (Lactuca sativa L.; ‘Canasta’ and ‘Trocadero’) were grown hydroponically in a light-sealed phytotron for 30 days (300 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹; 16/8 h photoperiod) under uniform temperature and humidity. Leaf gas exchange was quantified by fitting photosynthetic light-response curves, and plant performance was concurrently evaluated through growth metrics, biomass partitioning, and pigment-related traits (chlorophyll a/b, total carotenoids). The perovskite-emulated spectrum measurably reshaped net CO₂ assimilation across the PAR domain—yielding higher A_N at selected irradiances in post hoc contrasts—yet these physiological shifts did not translate into differences in leaf area, shoot or root biomass, or pigment concentrations—demonstrating spectral plasticity and agricultural compatibility of field-characterized perovskite transmission spectra. Overall, perovskite-emulated light sustained agronomically equivalent lettuce performance under moderate irradiance, supporting the feasibility of semitransparent perovskite PV covers, while underscoring the need for validation under natural sunlight. Full article

This paper presents a simple effective methodology for designing high-efficiency power amplifiers (PAs) utilizing a compact microstrip harmonic-tuned load network. The proposed approach employs a combination of a two-section transformer and three shunt-connected stubs, reducing component count relative to conventional harmonic-tuned circuits. The novel load network achieves optimized load impedances at the fundamental, second, and third harmonics while accounting for parasitic effects of packaged transistors. For experimental validation, an inverse Class-F (Class-F⁻¹) PA is designed and fabricated using a Cree GaN HEMT (model CGH40010F) operating at 2.5 GHz. The measured results demonstrate a peak power-added efficiency (PAE) of 79.8% with a saturated output power (P_sat) of 40.2 dBm. Full article

Soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loss in watersheds is a critical source of water pollution. This study explores the spatial distribution, release potential, and environmental impacts of soil N and P in the downstream Daliao River basin by integrating field investigations and simulation experiments. Results showed that total nitrogen content in soils ranged from 256.09 to 3362.75 mg/kg, while that in sediments ranged from 114.85 to 1640.54 mg/kg. Total phosphorus content in soils varied from 250.18 to 1142.69 mg/kg, whereas in sediments it ranged from 327.23 to 586.24 mg/kg. The ammonia nitrogen release potentials of soils collected from rice paddies, corn farmlands, roadsides, and reed wetlands were 0.75, 0.86, 0.70, and 8.65 mg/L, respectively, with corresponding total phosphorus release potentials of 0.61, 1.01, 0.31, and 1.52 mg/L. For sediments, ammonia nitrogen and total phosphorus release potentials ranged from 0.96 to 1.21 mg/L and 0.44 to 0.52 mg/L, respectively. Temperature, pH, and dissolved oxygen were important factors influencing nitrogen and phosphorus release from soils and sediments. The export of nitrogen and phosphorus from soil reached 50.50 t/a and 21.63 t/a, respectively. During the soil erosion process in the Daliao River Basin, phosphorus exhibited a high release potential and served as the primary pollutant, whereas the release mechanism of ammonia nitrogen was more complex, showing seasonal variability. Soils in the downstream Daliao River basin have large specific surface areas and may pose a high pollution risk after discharge into water bodies due to prolonged adsorption of pollutants. It is recommended to propose promoting soil testing-based fertilization, constructing ecological engineering projects, developing sponge cities, and conducting environmental dredging to reduce N and P release from agricultural lands, construction areas, natural wastelands, and sediments. Full article

In this article, I take up Pushor’s conceptualization of ‘walking alongside,’ of accompanying families on their journey to educate their children, as an alternative to the ways in which educators have stood over parents as authorities with more knowledge. I detail the parent and grandparent knowledge approaches to schooling. I make my ways of thinking, doing, and being visible by storying moments of my lived experiences as a nēhiyaw in education, a parent and grandparent, a teacher and assistant professor. I share aspects of my cultural knowledge through nēhiyawēwin-Cree language when it comes to visiting, gratitude, and storytelling with the aim of adding a nēhiyaw voice to the field of research and literature on family engagement. Full article

This essay reads Oji-Cree poet Joshua Whitehead’s full metal indigiqueer in relation to hybridity. Whitehead’s poems are both lyrical and experimental, offering a hybrid poetics that resonates with existing critical discussions of hybridity, but he also extends hybrid poetics in new directions through his engagement with posthuman and Indigenous futurism and through his development of Zoa, the hybridized trickster figure who combines the technological and the biological, who features so prominently throughout the collection. Indigiqueerness emerges in these poems as a hybrid identity positioned not only to survive but to thrive in the twenty-first century and beyond. Full article