Search Results (12,449)

It is crucial to clarify the grassland carrying capacity (CC) and the balance between grass and livestock under different scenarios for ecological protection and sustainable development in the Three River Headwaters Region (TRHR). This study focused on the TRHR and used livestock data, MODIS Net Primary Productivity (NPP) data, and artificial supplementary feeding data to analyze grassland CC and explore changes in the grass–livestock balance across various scenarios. The results showed that the theoretical CC of edible forage under complete grazing conditions was much lower than that of crude protein under nutritional carrying conditions. Furthermore, without increasing the grazing intensity of natural grasslands, artificial supplementary feeding reduced overstocking areas by 21%. These results suggest that supplementary feeding effectively addresses the imbalance between forage supply and demand, serving as a key measure for achieving sustainable grassland livestock husbandry. Despite the effective mitigation of grassland degradation in the TRHR due to strict grass–livestock balance policies and ecological restoration projects, the actual livestock CC exceeded the theoretical capacity, leading to overgrazing in some areas. To achieve desired objectives, more effective grassland management strategies must be implemented in the future to minimize spatiotemporal conflicts between grasses and livestock and ensure the health and stability of grassland ecosystems. Full article

Recent research on the design and synthesis of new and upgraded materials for secondary batteries is growing to fulfill future energy demands around the globe. Herein, by using DFT calculations, the thermodynamic and electrochemical properties of Na/Na⁺@C₁₂ complexes and then halogens (X⁻ = Br⁻, Cl⁻, and F⁻) as counter anions are studied for the enhancement of Na-ion battery cell voltage and overall performance. Isolated C₁₂ nanorings showed a lower cell voltage (−1.32 V), which was significantly increased after adsorption with halide anions as counter anions. Adsorption of halides increased the Gibbs free energy, which in turn resulted in higher cell voltage. Cell voltage increased with the increasing electronegativity of the halide anion. The Gibbs free energy of Br⁻@C₁₂ was −52.36 kcal·mol⁻¹, corresponding to a desirable cell voltage of 2.27 V, making it suitable for use as an anode in sodium-ion batteries. The estimated cell voltage of these considered complexes ensures the effective use of these complexes in sodium-ion secondary batteries. Full article

Deep neural network (DNN) hardware (HW) accelerators have achieved great success in improving DNNs’ performance and efficiency. One key reason is the dataflow in executing a DNN layer, including on-chip data partitioning, computation parallelism, and scheduling policy, which have large impacts on latency and energy consumption. Unlike prior works that required considerable efforts from HW engineers to design suitable dataflows for different DNNs, this work proposes an efficient data-centric approach, named Dataflow Code Propagation (DCP), to automatically find the optimal dataflow for DNN layers in seconds without human effort. It has several attractive benefits that prior studies lack, including the following: (i) We translate the HW dataflow configuration into a code representation in a unified dataflow coding space, which can be optimized by back-propagating gradients given a DNN layer or network. (ii) DCP learns a neural predictor to efficiently update the dataflow codes towards the desired gradient directions to minimize various optimization objectives, e.g., latency and energy. (iii) It can be easily generalized to unseen HW configurations in a zero-shot or few-shot learning manner. For example, without using additional training data, Extensive experiments on several representative models such as MobileNet, ResNet, and ViT show that DCP outperforms its counterparts in various settings. Full article

Several natural products have been shown to display antiviral activity against the hepatitis B virus (HBV), among a number of other viruses. In a previous study, the hydro-alcoholic extracts (n = 66) of 31 species from the Venezuelan Amazonian rain forest were tested on the hepatoma cell line HepG2.2.15, which constitutively produces HBV. One of the species that exerted inhibitory activity on HBV replication was Senna silvestris. The aim of this study was the bioassay-guided purification of the ethanol fraction of leaves of S. silvestris, which displayed the most significant inhibitory activity against HBV. After solvent extraction and two rounds of reverse-phase HPLC purification, NMR analysis identified salsolinol as the compound that may exert the desired antiviral activity. The purified compound exerted inhibition of both HBV DNA and core HBV DNA. Pure salsolinol obtained from a commercial source also displayed anti-HBV DNA inhibition, with an approximate MIC value of 12 µM. Although salsolinol is widely used in Chinese traditional medicine to treat congestive heart failure, it has also been associated with Parkinson’s disease. More studies are warranted to analyze the effect of changes in its chemical conformation, searching for potent antiviral, perhaps dual agents against HBV and HIV, with reduced toxicity. Full article

If implemented properly in architectural design, passive measures can contribute to achieving the desired comfort in a building while reducing its energy consumption. Glazed additions in the form of sunspaces or greenhouses can influence the improvement of building energy efficiency and, at the same time, create appealing and pleasant building extensions. Through energy simulations performed using EnergyPlus software, this study aims to analyze the potential contribution of glazed additions to a detached house to reducing energy consumption and creating additional space for living. Research was performed as a case study at the following locations: Niš (Serbia), Berlin (Germany), and Tromsø (Norway). For the purposes of this study, five models (M0–M4) were developed and subjected to analysis across two different scenarios. The results of the conducted research showed that the integration of glazed elements can significantly contribute to energy savings: maximum total annual savings regarding heating and cooling go from 21% for Tromsø, up to 32% for Berlin and 40% for Niš, depending on whether the building to which the glazed element(s) is/are attached is insulated or not and the number and the position of glazed elements. Although glazed additions can create a pleasant microclimate around the house, the overheating observed in the study indicates that proper ventilation and shading are mandatory, especially in more southern locations. Full article

Enhancing the specificity and applicability of PCR-based genome-walking methods is highly desirable. A new and universal genome-walking tool, called center degenerated walking-primer PCR (CDWP-PCR), is presented in this study. CDWP-PCR involves adopting a center degenerated walking primer (cdWP) in the secondary/tertiary round of amplification. This cdWP is generated by degenerating the seven central nucleotides of the normal walking primer (nWP) used in primary PCR to NNNNNNN (where N includes the bases A, T, C, and G). Clearly, a partially complementary structure is formed between the two primers. Accordingly, the primary CDWP-PCR non-target products defined by the nWP are diluted in secondary/tertiary CDWP-PCR, as these non-targets have difficulty in annealing with the cdWP; conversely, the primary target product can still be efficiently amplified. The working performance of the proposed CDWP-PCR is verified through cloning of the unknown flanks of three known genes. All the clear DNA bands in the tertiary CDWP-PCRs are confirmed to be correct, and the largest DNA band is 8.0 kb. Overall, CDWP-PCR can be considered as a reliable supplement to existing genome-walking methods. Full article

Objectives: To assess the role of a real-time therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM)-guided expert clinical pharmacological advice (ECPA) program of isavuconazole in preventing under- or overexposure with the intent of improving efficacy and safety outcomes in the critically ill patients. Methods: This retrospective study included critical patients receiving intravenous isavuconazole for prophylaxis or treatment of invasive fungal infections (IFI) and undergoing at least one TDM-guided ECPA in the period 1 March 2021–31 March 2025. Desired isavuconazole exposure was defined as trough concentrations (C_min) of 1.0–5.1 mg/L. Efficacy outcome was assessed by means of bronchoalveolar (BAL) galactomannan (GM) index, breakthrough IFI, and 30-day mortality rate, whereas safety was assessed by means of hepatic test disturbances (HTD). Univariate analysis was carried out for assessing potential variables associated with isavuconazole under- or overexposure and for comparing features of solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients vs. non-SOT patients. Proportions of isavuconazole C_min underexposure, desired exposure, and overexposure were assessed at different timepoints from starting therapy. Trends over time of HTD in relation to isavuconazole exposure were assessed separately in patients having HTD or not at baseline. Results: Overall, 32 critical patients were included. A total of 166 TDM-guided ECPAs were provided. Median (IQR) average isavuconazole C_min was 3.5 mg/L (2.1–4.6 mg/L). Proportions of ECPAs with isavuconazole C_min under- and overexposure were 4.2% (7/166) and 16.3% (27/166), respectively. Patients experiencing underexposure had higher body mass index (30.1 vs. 25.5 kg/m²; p < 0.001). Trends of isavuconazole C_min under- and overexposure changed over time, significantly decreasing the former (10.5% <7 days vs. 4.3% 7–28 days vs. 0.0% >28 days; p < 0.001) and increasing the latter (5.3% <7 days vs. 12.8% 7–28 days vs. 29.3% >28 days; p < 0.001). HTD occurred in 15/32 patients, most of whom (10/15) were affected just at baseline. Patients with transient or persistent overexposure trended toward a higher risk of HTD compared to those without (33.3% vs. 8.3%; p = 0.11). Conclusions: A real-time TDM-guided approach could be a valuable tool for optimizing isavuconazole exposure, especially whenever dealing with obese patients or with prolonged treatment. Full article

This study assesses the quality of fat in conventional and specialist infant formulas (IFs) available in Poland. The IFs studied were characterized in terms of fatty acid profiles and lipid quality indices. The study material consisted of eight types of conventional and specialist IFs. The determination of fatty acids was carried out using gas chromatography (GC). Lipid quality indices were estimated based on established formulas. Goat milk-based formulas showed significantly higher levels of caproic acid (C6:0) and capric acid (C10:0) than cow milk-based formulas of the same category (initial or follow-on) (p < 0.05). In addition, these IFs stood out in terms of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) content (0.30%) compared to cow and specialist formulas (about 0.20%). It was shown that the average ratio of n6/n3 fatty acids was significantly lower in conventional IFs (6.07:1) compared to specialist IFs (8.10:1). The goat’s milk-based IFs had the most favorable values for individual lipid quality indices (index of desirable fatty acids (DFAs) = 62.46; index of hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (OFAs) = 25.94; index of atherogenicity (AI) = 0.71; index of thrombogenicity (TI) = 0.88; hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic ratio (H/H) = 2.05), while the specialist S-PH formula was characterized by the lowest DFA value (49.17) and the highest AI and TI indices (1.48 and 1.68). Multivariate analysis clearly classified the division of formulas into two groups—conventional and specialist—based on lipid quality indices. The results obtained provide new information on the variation in the lipid profile of IFs depending on the intended use of the formula and may serve as a basis for further research in this area. Full article

Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) like diabetes and cancer drive demand for therapeutic functional foods. This study developed freeze-dried fermented camel milk (FCM) with Ajwa date pulp (ADP), evaluating its physical and functional properties, probiotic survival, and potential benefits for diabetes and cancer. To achieve this target, six FCM formulations were prepared using ABT-5 starter culture (containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium bifidum, and Streptococcus thermophilus) with or without Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus B-1937 and ADP (12% or 15%). The samples were freeze-dried, and their functional properties, such as water activity, dispersibility, water absorption capacity, water absorption index, water solubility index, insolubility index, and sedimentation, were assessed. Reconstitution properties such as density, flowability, air content, porosity, loose bulk density, packed bulk density, particle density, carrier index, Hausner ratio, porosity, and density were examined. In addition, color and probiotic survivability under simulated gastrointestinal conditions were analyzed. Also, antidiabetic potential was assessed via α-amylase and α-glucosidase inhibition assays, while cytotoxicity was evaluated using the MTT assay on Caco-2 cells. The results show that ADP supplementation significantly improved dispersibility (up to 72.73% in FCM15D+L). These improvements are attributed to changes in particle size distribution and increased carbohydrate and mineral content, which facilitate powder rehydration and reduce clumping. All FCM variants demonstrated low water activity (0.196–0.226), indicating good potential for shelf stability. The reconstitution properties revealed that FCM powders with ADP had higher bulk and packed densities but lower particle density and porosity than controls. Including ADP reduced interstitial air and increased occluded air within the powders, which may minimize oxidation risks and improve packaging efficiency. ADP incorporation resulted in a significant decrease in lightness (L*) and increases in redness (a*) and yellowness (b*), with greater pigment and phenolic content at higher ADP levels. These changes reflect the natural colorants and browning reactions associated with ADP, leading to a more intense and visually distinct product. Probiotic survivability was higher in ADP-fortified samples, with L. acidophilus and B. bifidum showing resilience in intestinal conditions. The FCM15D+L formulation exhibited potent antidiabetic effects, with IC₅₀ values of 111.43 μg mL⁻¹ for α-amylase and 77.21 μg mL⁻¹ for α-glucosidase activities, though lower than control FCM (8.37 and 10.74 μg mL⁻¹, respectively). Cytotoxicity against Caco-2 cells was most potent in non-ADP samples (IC₅₀: 82.22 μg mL⁻¹ for FCM), suggesting ADP and L. rhamnosus may reduce antiproliferative effects due to proteolytic activity. In conclusion, the study demonstrates that ADP-enriched FCM is a promising functional food with enhanced probiotic viability, antidiabetic potential, and desirable physical properties. This work highlights the potential of camel milk and date synergies in combating some NCDs in vitro, suggesting potential for functional food application. Full article

Legumes are vital sources of protein, dietary fibre and nutrients, making them crucial for global food security and sustainable agriculture. However, their widespread acceptance and consumption are often limited by undesirable sensory characteristics, such as “a beany flavour”, bitterness or variable textures. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive understanding of the complex molecular mechanisms governing appearance, aroma, taste, flavour, texture and palatability in legumes, aiming to enhance their sensory appeal. This review highlights the transformative power of multi-omics approaches in dissecting these intricate biological pathways and facilitating the targeted enhancement of legume sensory qualities. By integrating data from genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics, the genetic and biochemical networks that directly dictate sensory perception can be comprehensively unveiled. The insights gained from these integrated multi-omics studies are proving instrumental in developing strategies for sensory enhancement. They enable the identification of key biomarkers for desirable traits, facilitating more efficient marker-assisted selection (MAS) and genomic selection (GS) in breeding programs. Furthermore, a molecular understanding of sensory pathways opens avenues for precise gene editing (e.g., using CRISPR-Cas9) to modify specific genes, reduce off-flavour compounds or optimise texture. Beyond genetic improvements, multi-omics data also inform the optimisation of post-harvest handling and processing methods (e.g., germination and fermentation) to enhance desirable sensory profiles and mitigate undesirable ones. This holistic approach, spanning from the genetic blueprint to the final sensory experience, will accelerate the development of new legume cultivars and products with enhanced palatability, thereby fostering increased consumption and ultimately contributing to healthier diets and more resilient food systems worldwide. Full article

This article presents a probabilistic methodology for assessing corrosion initiation in reinforced concrete structures exposed to chloride ingress. The approach addresses key limitations of conventional analytical models by accounting for non-diffusive barriers and incorporating a rigorous statistical treatment of censored data to mitigate biases introduced by limited simulation durations. A combination of analytical solutions for diffusion from opposite sides with time-dependent boundary conditions is also proposed and validated. The probabilistic study includes the depassivation assessment of a hollow pier section. The blocking effect caused by rebars is statistically characterised through correction factors derived from finite element simulations. These factors are used to adjust analytical solutions, which are computationally inexpensive. Results show that neglecting the rebar blocking effect can overestimate the mean corrosion initiation time by up to 42%, while the use of censored data reduces bias in lifetime estimates. The observed frequency of censored events reached up to 20% when simulations were truncated at 100 years. The corrected analytical models closely match the finite element results, statistically validating their application. The case study indicates premature corrosion initiation (less than 10 years to achieve target reliability), underscoring the need to better reconcile the desired levels of reliability with realistic input parameters for depassivation. Full article

Operations management personnel emphasize the maintenance of workforce empowerment on the shop floor. This is made possible by implementing effective operations and human resource management practices. However, organizations are adept at controlling the workforce empowerment domain within operational scenarios. In the current industry revolution scenario, industry personnel often face failure due to a laggard mindset in the face of industry revolutions. There are higher possibilities of failure because of standardized operations controlling the shop floor. Organizations utilize well-established human resource concepts, including McClelland’s acquired needs theory, Herzberg’s two-factor theory, and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, in order to enhance the workforce’s performance on the shop floor. Current SME individuals require fast-paced approaches for tracking the performance and idleness of a workforce in order to control them more efficiently in both flexible and transformational stages. The present study focuses on investigating the parameters and factors that contribute to workforce empowerment in an industrial revolution scenario. The present research is used to develop a framework utilizing operations and human resource management approaches in order to identify and address the issues responsible for deteriorating workforce contributions. The framework includes HRM and operations management practices, including Herzberg’s two-factor theory, Maslow’s theory, and lean and smart approaches. The developed framework contains four phases for achieving desired outcomes on the shop floor. The developed framework is validated by implementing it in a real-life electric vehicle manufacturing organization, where the human resources and operations team were exhausted and looking to resolve employee-related issues instantly and establish a sustainable work environment. The current industry is transforming from Industry 3.0 to Industry 4.0, and seeks future-ready innovations in operations, control, and monitoring of shop floor setups. The operations management and human resource management practices teams reviewed the results over the next three months after the implementation of the developed framework. The results revealed an improvement in workforce empowerment within the existing work environment, as evidenced by reductions in the number of absentees, resignations, transfer requests, and medical issues, by 30.35%, 94.44%, 95.65%, and 93.33%, respectively. A few studies have been conducted on workforce empowerment by controlling shop floor scenarios through modifications in operations and human resource management strategies. The results of this study can be used to fulfil manufacturers’ needs within confined constraints and provide guidelines for efficiently controlling workforce performance on the shop floor. Constraints refer to barriers that have been decided, including production time, working time, asset availability, resource availability, and organizational policy. The study proposes a decision-making plan for enhancing shop floor performance by providing suitable guidelines and an action plan, taking into account both workforce and operational performance. Full article

Background: Addressing undernutrition and malnutrition requires a multi-pronged approach targeting different populations with appropriate interventions. Knowledge and perception (K&P) of Individuals and communities about nutrition to human health relationship/continuum is a prerequisite for addressing malnutrition in rural and mountain communities. Assessing K&P is essential for developing strategic interventions to up-scaling K&P of communities and achieving nutrition security. Homestead gardens are a proven intervention for achieving nutrition security for all family members of gardeners. Methods: This paper includes homestead gardeners from the Himalayan Mountain Region (HMR) as respondents. We developed a scale to assess the K&P of respondents, based on ratings from 20 judges. A total of 134 issues/items have been retained in the scale from macronutrients, micronutrients, minerals, and vitamins. A framework has also been developed and adopted for the study. A knowledge and perception index (KPI) has been developed based on the respondents’ responses. We have reviewed and analysed the national policy interventions for augmenting the K&P of the study community to achieve nutrition security. Results: The nutrition K&P of respondents are inadequate and far from the desirable level. Policy review and analysis indicate that the creation of K&P in the community to contribute to self and family nutrition security was previously highly neglected. Conclusions: The policy process of national, state, and county/district-level development sectors in developing countries under the HMR may take the initiative to ensure self-nutrition security by creating K&P of the community on nutrition issues. The designed scale is prudent requires testing and validation for measuring farmers’ K&P on nutrition, which may be adopted in future studies and policymaking not only nationally but also from an international perspective. Full article

Topical drug administration is a common method of delivering medications to the eye to treat various ocular conditions, including glaucoma, dry eye, and inflammation. Drug efficacy following topical administration, including the drug’s distribution within the eye, absorption and elimination rates, and physiological responses can be predicted using physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling. High-resolution computational models of the eye are desirable to improve simulations of drug delivery; however, these approaches can have long run times. In this study, a fast-running computational quasi-3D (Q3D) model of the human tear film was developed to account for absorption, blinking, drainage, and evaporation. Visualization of blinking mechanics and flow distributions throughout the tear film were enabled using this Q3D approach. Average drug absorption throughout the tear film subregions was quantified using a high-resolution compartment model based on a system of ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Simulations were validated by comparing them with experimental data from topical administration of 0.1% dexamethasone suspension in the tear film (R² = 0.76, RMSE = 8.7, AARD = 28.8%). Overall, the Q3D tear film model accounts for critical mechanistic factors (e.g., blinking and drainage) not previously included in fast-running models. Further, this work demonstrated methods toward improved computational efficiency, where central processing unit (CPU) time was decreased while maintaining accuracy. Building upon this work, this Q3D approach applied to the tear film will allow for more seamless integration into full-body models, which will be an extremely valuable tool in the development of treatments for ocular conditions. Full article

Background/Objectives: Magnetic nanoparticles, particularly iron oxide-based materials, such as magnetite (Fe₃O₄), have gained significant attention as contrast agents in medical imaging This study aimsto syntheze and characterize Fe₃O₄-based core–shell nanostructures, including Fe₃O₄@TiO₂ and Fe₃O₄@SiO₂, and to evaluate their potential as tunable contrast agents for diagnostic imaging. Methods: Fe₃O₄, Fe₃O₄@TiO₂, and Fe₃O₄@SiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized via co-precipitation at varying temperatures from iron salt precursors. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to confirm the presence of Fe–O bonds, while X-ray diffraction (XRD) was employed to determine the crystalline phases and estimate average crystallite sizes. Morphological analysis and particle size distribution were assessed by scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Magnetic properties were investigated using vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). Results: FTIR spectra exhibited characteristic Fe–O vibrations at 543 cm⁻¹ and 555 cm⁻¹, indicating the formation of magnetite. XRD patterns confirmed a dominant cubic magnetite phase, with the presence of rutile TiO₂ and stishovite SiO₂ in the coated samples. The average crystallite sizes ranged from 24 to 95 nm. SEM and TEM analyses revealed particle sizes between 5 and 150 nm with well-defined core–shell morphologies. VSM measurements showed saturation magnetization (Ms) values ranging from 40 to 70 emu/g, depending on the synthesis temperature and shell composition. The highest Ms value was obtained for uncoated Fe₃O₄ synthesized at 94 °C. Conclusions: The synthesized Fe₃O₄-based core–shell nanomaterials exhibit desirable structural, morphological, and magnetic properties for use as contrast agents. Their tunable magnetic response and nanoscale dimensions make them promising candidates for advanced diagnostic imaging applications. Full article