Search Results (8,485)

The catalytic influence of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) on Zn²⁺ electroreduction at a mercury electrode was investigated in an acetate buffer. Electrochemical measurements, including DC polarography and differential capacity, indicate that GABA facilitates charge transfer through the formation of “cap-pair” surface bridges. This acceleration is reflected in a systematic increase in the standard rate constant and the transfer coefficient. Molecular dynamics simulations complement these findings by characterizing the conformational properties of GABA, showing a transition toward more folded forms in concentrated environments. Moreover, MD simulations demonstrate that GABA reduces the Zn²⁺ solvation number, providing a structural pathway that lowers the dehydration barrier prior to charge transfer. These observations correlate with the measured decrease in diffusion coefficients as the neurotransmitter concentration increases. The results establish a direct link between the zwitterionic adsorption of GABA and the reduction in the energetic barrier in the zinc electroreduction process. Full article

Background/Objectives: Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is a leading cause of mortality in older adults. Traditional prognostic scores may underestimate risk in frail patients by assuming linear relationships between predictors and outcomes. This study aimed to develop and validate explainable machine learning models integrating the administrative Hospital Frailty Risk Score (HFRS) to predict in-hospital mortality in a nationwide cohort of older adults in Chile. Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using anonymized hospital discharge records from the Chilean National Health Fund (FONASA), including 58,306 hospitalization episodes of adults aged ≥60 years across 72 public hospitals. Fourteen supervised machine learning algorithms were trained using five routinely collected predictors: age, sex, HFRS, Charlson Comorbidity Index, and length of stay. Model performance was evaluated on an independent test set using AUC-ROC. SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) values were calculated to assess global and individual predictor contributions. Results: The Extra Trees classifier achieved the highest discriminative performance (AUC-ROC 0.862), outperforming logistic regression (0.642) and other linear models. SHAP analyses identified HFRS as the most influential predictor (mean |SHAP| = 0.66), followed by length of stay, age, and comorbidities. Conclusions: Ensemble tree-based models incorporating administrative frailty measures provide superior mortality prediction compared to traditional linear approaches. Frailty emerged as the primary driver of risk, supporting scalable early stratification using routinely available hospital data. Full article

Organic farming has gained increasing relevance worldwide due to its environmental benefits and its prominent role in sustainable food systems; however, the persistence of organic farms remains uneven across regions, particularly within the European Union. While the number of organic farms has grown overall in the EU, significant exits from organic production highlight the need to better understand the factors shaping farm survival, especially in newer Member States, where organic conversion and maintenance support schemes are often implemented through area-based CAP payments. This study aims to identify the structural and contextual determinants of short-term organic farm persistence in Hungary within a broader European context. Using farm-level data for the period 2020–2023, including Standard Output (SO) indicators, we applied a combined modelling framework based on Logistic Regression, Decision Trees, and Random Forest algorithms to assess the relative importance of economic, structural, and regional variables. The results show that organic farm persistence is primarily driven by structural characteristics such as farm size, economic scale, degree of conversion to organic farming and regional embeddedness, while production specialization and organizational features play a secondary, conditional role. The convergence of results across modelling approaches indicates that survival is shaped by hierarchical structural constraints rather than isolated management decisions. Our findings suggest that policy measures aiming to stabilize and expand the organic sector should move beyond uniform incentives, such as area-based payments, and should place greater emphasis on the structural conditions of farms and region-specific support mechanisms. Full article

The literature collected from various search engines and high-quality scientific databases reveals that amino acid (AA)-functionalized nanoparticles have emerged as a promising field for selective detection and remediation of heavy metals (HMs). Among the various nanoparticles (NPs), gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have drawn considerable attention, attributed to their unique optical, catalytic, and surface plasmon resonance properties. Functionalization with amino acids significantly enhances nanoparticle stability, biocompatibility, and metal-binding affinity through diverse functional groups. AA-functionalized AuNPs, including glycine, cystine, leucine, methionine, tyrosine, aspartic acid, histidine, and lysine-capped systems, exhibit tunable selectivity toward heavy metal ions. Bifunctionalization strategies further enhance sensitivity by inducing nanoparticle aggregation or signal amplification. Beyond single amino acids, polypeptides and protein-functionalized AuNPs offer enhanced molecular recognition and multivalent binding, expanding their applicability in complex matrices. Similarly, amino acid-functionalized AgNPs, such as those capped with similar amino acids stated above, exhibit strong interactions with heavy metals, AA bifunctionalization, and bimetallic nanoparticles (BNPs), particularly amino acid-functionalized Au–Ag systems, which combine the advantages of both metals, leading to improved sensitivity, selectivity, and signal strength. Although these advances have been made, a major gap remains in the systematic comparison of different amino acids, peptides, and bimetallic systems under real-world conditions. This gap can be addressed by standardized testing methods, clearer structure–function relationships and combined experimentation to guide the rational design of more efficient AA-functionalized nanoparticles. Full article

Compressed CO₂ energy storage (CCES) in deep sedimentary basins offers a promising option to integrate carbon management with long-duration energy storage. However, most existing subsurface energy-storage studies focus on salt caverns or generic porous reservoirs, while the potential of evaporite-bounded carbonate reservoirs remains insufficiently explored. This study presents the first application-oriented numerical assessment of CCES in Southern Ontario. It investigates the feasibility of CCES in the Upper Silurian Salina Group beneath offshore Lake Huron, focusing on a porous A-2 carbonate interval vertically confined by B and A-2 halite caprocks. A fully coupled three-dimensional thermo-hydro-mechanical model is developed in COMSOL Multiphysics 6.3 to simulate two-phase (brine-CO₂) Darcy flow, heat transfer, and poroelastic deformation under a realistic Michigan Basin stress, pressure and geothermal regime. After an initial cushion-gas stage at 8 kg/s that establishes a caprock-parallel supercritical CO₂ wedge beneath the B-salt, 24 h injection-production cycles are imposed for two years, followed by a five-month high-resolution window. Three well completion strategies are compared: full-length, upper-only, and split (upper + lower) perforations. Results indicate that in all simulations the CO₂ plume stabilizes as a persistent gas cap beneath the B-salt, far-field pressures remain close to hydrostatic, and reservoir deformations are very small, pointing to a substantial geomechanical safety margin. Among the three completion strategies, the split completion provides the best compromise: it maintains high and relatively stable CO₂ production while avoiding the stronger lower-zone depressurisation seen in the full-length case and the more limited working volume of the upper-only case. These findings suggest that a Salina A-2 carbonate reservoir bounded by B and A-2 salts can accommodate cyclic CCES under realistic basin conditions, and that appropriately designed split completions offer a practical balance between storage utilisation and operational robustness in this setting. Full article

This paper presents the electromigration (EM) performance of an embedded trace redistribution layer (ETR) in which the Cu trace features a rounded-bottom cross-sectional geometry and is encapsulated by a Ti barrier layer except for the top surface, with an optional top-side Ti cap. The ETR (with and without top-side Ti capping) and the conventional semi-additive-process (SAP) redistribution layer (RDL) are comparatively evaluated in terms of EM reliability. The ETR demonstrates a marked lifetime improvement compared with the SAP RDL. Notably, the Ti-capped ETR exhibits a minimal resistance increase in less than 10% even after a test duration of 4000 h. We discuss the key contributing factors and underlying mechanisms that support these improvements. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) combined with atomic-percentage mapping confirms the effectiveness of Ti capping as a Cu diffusion barrier, showing continuous Ti coverage and no observable Cu diffusion. Electro-thermal simulations co-locate predicted thermal hot spots with experimentally observed open-failure sites, highlighting temperature-driven EM acceleration and the necessity of a barrier to suppress Cu–polymer interfacial oxidation. Stress simulations, together with EM failure analysis, indicate that the rounded-bottom Cu geometry alleviates local stress concentration and stress gradients, thereby creating conditions favorable for enhanced EM resistance. Full article

Chromium slag, a chromium-bearing solid waste characterized by substantial environmental hazards yet with appreciable resource potential, has become a focal topic in solid-waste pollution control and the circular economy. Centered on the overarching logic of “evidence chain–system boundary–scalable and verifiable acceptance,” this review systematically synthesizes recovery technologies, industrial-scale utilization pathways, and the key challenges associated with the detoxification and resource utilization of chromium slag. From the perspective of recovery technologies, we examine pyrometallurgical and hydrometallurgical routes, solidification/stabilization (S/S), and bioelectrochemical coupling approaches, elucidating their fundamental principles, applicability boundaries, and critical nodes where environmental burdens may be transferred across media. We emphasize that process design should concurrently consider detoxification efficiency, resource recovery performance, and whole-process pollution control. Regarding utilization pathways, this review highlights three major routes with strong scale-up relevance—metallurgical process co-treatment (CAP–sintering–blast furnace), bulk utilization in construction materials, and high-value utilization—and analyzes their industrial potential and engineering constraints. Particular attention is given to the lack of long-term leaching and durability evidence, which represents a central bottleneck limiting product-side credibility. Furthermore, we discuss cross-cutting challenges including the long-term stabilization of Cr(VI), the verifiability of “green utilization” concepts, cost and economic feasibility, and standardized acceptance criteria. We propose that future research should shift from single-process optimization toward multi-objective, system-level evaluation, and establish a full-chain evidence system covering “speciation/mineral phases–process mechanisms–environmental behavior–risk assessment–engineering scale-up–standardized acceptance.” This review aims to provide a systematic analytical framework and practical reference for improving comparability across resource-utilization technologies and supporting engineering decision-making for chromium slag management. Full article

Background: Full pulpotomy has gained increasing attention as a conservative treatment option for managing complicated crown fractures and pulp exposures in mature permanent teeth. However, little is known about how undergraduate dental students perceive this treatment approach and which factors influence their willingness to adopt it in clinical practice. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate undergraduate dental students’ knowledge, attitudes, and preferences regarding full pulpotomy and to identify factors associated with willingness to use full pulpotomy as a definitive treatment option. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted among fourth- and fifth-year dental students. The questionnaire evaluated participants’ treatment preferences, perceived procedural difficulties, preferred pulp capping materials, attitudes toward rubber dam use, perceived barriers to full pulpotomy adoption, and willingness to use full pulpotomy as a definitive treatment. Associations between variables were assessed using chi-square tests and multivariable binary logistic regression analysis. Results: In total, 255 undergraduate dental students participated in the study. Spontaneous pain (69.4%), prolonged pain to heat (50.6%), percussion sensitivity (46.7%), and radiographic findings (43.9%) were the most frequently reported diagnostic criteria for symptomatic irreversible pulpitis. In the standardized clinical scenario, a pulpotomy-based approach was the most preferred treatment strategy (45.1%), followed by single-visit pulpectomy with obturation (28.6%) and pulpectomy with calcium hydroxide dressing (24.7%). MTA was the most preferred pulp capping material (57.3%), followed by Biodentin (12.9%) and calcium hydroxide (8.2%). Overall, 55.7% of participants reported willingness to use full pulpotomy as a definitive treatment option. Clinical year, previous exposure to pulpotomy cases, and confidence in bleeding control were independently associated with willingness to use full pulpotomy. Previous performance of pulpotomy procedures and attitude toward mandatory rubber dam use were independently associated with greater willingness to use full pulpotomy, whereas perceived barriers and uncertainty regarding implementation were negatively associated. Conclusions: In this single-center, questionnaire-based study, undergraduate dental students generally showed a positive attitude toward full pulpotomy; however, acceptance was strongly influenced by practical experience, confidence in procedural protocols, and perceived implementation barriers. These findings may help inform future educational strategies aimed at improving confidence and supporting evidence-based adoption of conservative pulp-preserving approaches. Full article

Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi) are an emerging class of epigenetic anticancer drugs that exert their activity through coordination to the catalytic Zn²⁺ ion within the active site of histone deacetylases (HDACs). Due to the limited isoform-selectivity of hydroxamic acid-based inhibitors, benzamide-based HDACi (BBHDACi) have been developed as subtype-selective alternatives. Clinically relevant representatives include Chidamide, Entinostat, Mocetinostat, Zabadinostat, and Tacedinaline. Although these compounds share a conserved o-aminoanilide zinc-binding group (ZBG), they differ in linker and cap region structure, raising questions regarding their intrinsic Zn²⁺ affinity and coordination behavior. Herein, density functional theory (DFT) calculations were performed at the B3LYP/6-311++g(d,p) level of theory combined with the PCM solvation in methanol (ε = 33) and water (ε = 78). Geometry optimization confirmed that the trans (E) isomer of Chidamide is thermodynamically preferred. Coordination studies showed that the remaining BBHDACi adopt stable geometries, with the o-aminoanilide group preferentially forming tetracoordinated complexes that are more stable than hexacoordinated ones in polar media. Interestingly, calculated substitution free energies differed by less than ± 2 kcal.mol⁻¹, indicating nearly identical intrinsic Zn²⁺ affinities across the series. These results suggest that the ZBG contributes similarly to metal coordination across all BBHDACi, whereas the overall binding strength is mainly governed by interactions of the linker and cap regions rather than by the conserved zinc-binding group itself. Full article

Recent image captioning methods based on pre-trained vision–language models can generate fluent and coherent descriptions, yet they still struggle in open-domain scenes that contain long-tail concepts, uncommon object combinations, and ambiguous visual evidence. Two limitations are especially important. First, the knowledge needed to recognize and name rare or domain-specific entities is only weakly represented in model parameters, causing captions to be generic, incomplete, or biased toward frequent concepts. Second, token generation is typically grounded mainly by local visual matching, making it sensitive to clutter, occlusion, and visually similar distractors, and therefore prone to attribute errors, relation confusion, and object hallucination. To address these issues, we propose R2G (retrieval- and grounding-guided captioning), a lightweight plug-in framework for frozen image captioning backbones. R2G consists of two complementary components. The first, retrieval-guided visual prompting, retrieves image-relevant concepts from an external visual concept memory, converts them into a continuous prompt representation, and injects this representation into selected layers of the visual encoder, so that external semantic information can influence visual feature formation before decoding begins. The second, global–local semantic grounding, derives a global semantic prior from an auxiliary vision–language encoder and adaptively fuses it with token-level local visual evidence through a decoder-state-dependent gating mechanism, thereby improving semantic stability while preserving fine-grained visual support. The resulting framework is lightweight, compatible with frozen pre-trained backbones, and designed to improve both concept coverage and semantic faithfulness. Experimental results on MS-COCO and NoCaps show that R2G consistently improves caption quality over the baseline and yields particularly clear gains in open-domain and out-of-domain settings. Full article

The aim of this study was to examine the impact of professional experience on workflow performance and assess the potential of using behavioral patterns derived from video-based observation to improve work efficiency and safety culture in the food industry. The experiment was conducted at a meat processing plant, with 48 employees divided into four experience groups. Deviations from behavioral patterns, work cycle times, and an efficiency index that considered both speed and accuracy (calculated as a ratio combining task completion time and the average number of deviations) were analyzed. The results showed that experienced employees completed tasks the fastest (8.3 s/cycle) but made the most errors (an average of 4 deviations), while new inexperienced employees worked slower (15.6 s/cycle) but with fewer errors (an average of 1.5 deviations). New employees with previous experience achieved the highest process efficiency (EI = 0.031), demonstrating that a balance between speed and accuracy is crucial. The study is based exclusively on video observation, and no Motion Capture (MoCap) system was used. However, the potential future application of MoCap technology is discussed as a conceptual extension, particularly for enhancing training processes and enabling real-time feedback. Monitoring movements and providing real-time feedback can reduce errors, improve efficiency and support a culture of safety, in line with the principles of Industry 5.0 and sustainability in food production. Full article

Trans-border data circulation across multi-jurisdictional boundaries faces an operational conflict between ownership provenance prerequisites and data minimisation mandates, compounded by the tight coupling of large data payloads with synchronous state consensus ledgers, which forces replication of feature matrices across all consensus nodes and leads to network saturation. Existing frameworks remain unequipped to resolve this, as coupling in-band payload routing with synchronous state ledgers generates communication overheads scaling with data volume. The proposed Trusted Data Space with Registration (TDSR) implements a four-layer protocol stack. A dual-plane topology establishes a decoupled storage–ledger mechanism, partitioning asynchronous payload datastores and synchronous consensus ledgers to sustain throughput independent of data dimensionality. Navigating this infrastructure, the Unified Data Resource Identifier (UDRI) executes out-of-band cross-domain routing without exposing verifier intents. Driven by the Oblivious Data Asset Registration (ODAR) mechanism, a two-phase, four-algorithm lifecycle dictates end-to-end ownership provenance. This execution shifts hypothesis testing to isolated sandboxes via an algorithm-agnostic mathematical contract, capping external data transit at a constant leakage bound. A deployed testbed across the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area validates the proposed architecture, supporting data circulation across divergent legal jurisdictions. Full article

Integrating semi-transparent photovoltaics (STPVs) into greenhouses offers a dual-use solution for land efficiency, although matching electricity generation with crop spectral needs remains a challenge. To address this, this study assesses the optical and microclimatic impact of Cadmium Telluride (CdTe, 50% transparency) and amorphous Silicon (a-Si, 20%) technologies compared to a conventional control in a semi-arid Mediterranean climate. Spectral analysis revealed that CdTe aligned with chlorophyll absorption peaks, preserving a transparency window that yielded a 66% relative gain in biologically useful radiation over the blue-blocking a-Si. Furthermore, while both technologies significantly reduced Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), this shading served as a protective filter against supra-optimal irradiance, stabilizing the internal microclimate. In the control prototype, extreme vapour pressure deficits (VPDs approaching 9.0 kPa) drove maximum reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) above 4.6 mm/day. In contrast, the STPV systems effectively capped ET₀ at approximately 3.09 mm/day (CdTe) and 1.64 mm/day (a-Si) through their radiative attenuation, despite internal VPDs still reaching 6.5–7.0 kPa during peak summer. This decoupling resulted in drastic average ET₀ reductions of 31.4% and 61.3%, respectively, while mitigating soil overheating by up to 17.8%. These findings demonstrate that specific STPV technologies transcend mere shading to function as passive climate resilience tools, naturally enforcing water conservation and physically disarming atmospheric aridity in high-radiation environments. Full article

Psychological capital (PsyCap), encompassing hope, self-efficacy, resilience, and optimism, has established itself as a key psychological resource for individuals. However, research in this field remains fragmented, which limits a comprehensive understanding of its role in the psychological mechanisms underlying entrepreneurial behavior, particularly in terms of motivation, coping with stress, and resilience in the face of uncertainty. This study aims to examine and organize the intellectual landscape of PsyCap. A scoping review of 215 articles indexed in Scopus and Web of Science over nearly two decades was conducted in accordance with PRISMA-ScR, using a co-thematic analysis based on text mining techniques. The results reveal a three-phase evolution of the field (emergence, growth, and maturity), built around individual functioning, entrepreneurial cognitions and attitudes, and psychosocial resources. The analysis also highlights unequal access to and use of PsyCap across contexts, as well as differences related to the specific characteristics of the populations studied, shedding light on underexplored groups such as women, refugees, rural and social entrepreneurs, migrants, and entrepreneurs with disabilities. These findings contribute to advancing knowledge in entrepreneurial psychology and offer a detailed analysis of future research avenues, including emerging research questions, methodological approaches, and theoretical interdisciplinary perspectives. Full article

This review describes a process design concept suitable for the fine and specialty chemicals sector. Experimental design and optimization methodologies are powerful tools for developing and improving a wide range of products, processes, and engineering systems. The research articles thoroughly analyzed in this review demonstrate that, regardless of the analytical techniques employed or the specific processes used in the fabrication of fine and specialty chemicals, the systematic implementation of the Design of Experiments and Response Surface Methodology consistently enables the development of high-quality and reproducible outcomes. Across all the studies discussed, comparing newly developed or modified processes with conventional approaches, the application of statistically designed experiments and structured multivariate analysis resulted in significant improvements in key performance indicators. These include increased product yield, reduced process times, enhanced purity, and more precise control over the targeted functional properties of specialty and fine chemicals. Good examples that illustrate the above problem are three studies supported by data from our previously published work and our current research project, in which experimental design and process optimization play major roles in obtaining valuable nanostructured materials. These case studies—rational liquid-in-liquid nanodispersions (ND) for ecological graffiti-coating detergents, solid-in-solid nanodispersions for functionalized sustainable cementitious composites, and solid-in-liquid multicharge cationic surfactant-capped silver nanoparticles (AgNPs)—are deliberately selected to illustrate how the same systematic design and optimization principles can be applied across distinct types of dispersed systems. Together, they demonstrate a coherent methodological progression from formulation to functional material development, highlighting the versatility of this approach across different material states and application domains. The findings of this review provide a solid foundation for the optimized manufacture of novel custom-designed nanoproducts. Full article