Search Results (3,821)

Programmed Cycle Pruning (PCP) in Arabica coffee can positively influence plant physiology by modifying plant architecture, promoting a more uniform distribution of branches and leaves, and altering microclimatic conditions within the canopy, particularly light incidence. These structural changes may contribute to improvements in plant performance and productivity. The objective of this study was to evaluate growth, yield, and physiological responses of Arabica coffee plants managed under PCP at different stem densities per hectare. The experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with four replications. Treatments were arranged in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme with an additional treatment representing the traditional pruning system. The factorial combination included four stem densities (4000, 8000, 12,000, and 16,000 stems ha⁻¹) and two data collection positions on the plant (lower and upper canopy strata). The evaluated variables included canopy diameter, plagiotropic branch length, number of inflorescences per branch, net photosynthetic rate (Anet), stomatal conductance (gs), leaf transpiration (E), vapor pressure deficit between leaf and air (VPDleaf/air), SPAD index, anthocyanin and flavonoid contents, and grain yield. PCP promoted greater uniformity in leaf gas exchange within the canopy and prevented the occurrence of “girdling”, which under traditional pruning reduced Anet in the upper canopy. Net photosynthesis increased with stem density under PCP. Although growth variables were similar between pruning systems, yield was higher under PCP, with a nonlinear response to stem density, indicating improved canopy gas-exchange uniformity and productivity in Arabica coffee cultivation. Full article

Hydrogenotrophic denitrification (H₂Den) is a promising strategy for NO₃⁻ removal from a supply water with low or negligible organic carbon content. However, its performance may be affected by emerging contaminants (ECs), which pose increasing risks to the environment and human health. This study investigates the acute effect of two widely detected ECs, acetaminophen (ACN) and chloramphenicol (CHP), at a 200 mg/L concentration, on H₂Den using anaerobic granular sludge (AnGS) as inoculum. Acute exposure to ACN enhanced NO₃⁻ removal, likely due to the formation of oxidizable metabolites serving as electron donors through the heterotrophic pathway. On day 3, the residual NO₃⁻ concentration had already dropped below the regulatory limit of 50 mg/L, reaching 4.3 mg NO₃⁻/L. In contrast, CHP initially inhibited the denitrification process, resulting in limited NO₃⁻ removal, i.e., a residual concentration of 145.4 mg NO₃⁻/L on day 3. Nevertheless, short-term microbial adaptation likely enabled performance recovery under CHP exposure. On day 6, both EC exposure tests allowed a NO₃⁻ removal above 97%, although CHP resulted in residual NO₂⁻, i.e., 37 mg NO₂⁻/L. In the presence of ACN, the accumulation of gaseous denitrification intermediates was observed, with NO concentration in the headspace peaking at 9.5% (i.e., 16.2 × 10⁻² µg NO/min/g VS) on day 6. Thus, in terms of either the production of gaseous intermediates or the presence of residual nitrogen in the liquid phase, ACN and CHP significantly influenced the denitrification performance, highlighting the importance of considering their presence in the operation of the denitrification process. Full article

Counterfeit and unsafe medicines pose significant risks to patient safety and undermine trust in healthcare systems. This paper presents ACTMeds, a blockchain-supported pharmaceutical traceability and recall platform that considers pharmaceutical supply chain requirements and public health operational needs relevant to the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The system integrates Ethereum smart contracts, developed using Ganache, with a React-based web application providing regulator, operator, pharmacy, and auditor interfaces, alongside a public verification portal leveraging QR and GS1 barcodes. In addition, role-based access control is enforced across the medicine lifecycle, including manufacture, custody transfer, dispensing, and recall, with immutable on-chain events generated to support auditability and accountability. To balance transparency with confidentiality, the platform prototypes a zero-knowledge (ZK) recall mechanism in which regulators can cryptographically prove that recall conditions meet predefined policy requirements without disclosing sensitive incident details. Threat modeling was conducted using the STRIDE framework, and security evaluation combined static application security testing (Solhint and ESLint) and dynamic testing. The paper further discusses deployment options, cost considerations, ZK recall performance analysis, ethical implications, and future enhancements. Security testing validated the platform’s resilience, with no high-severity vulnerabilities identified and medium-severity issues related to HTTP security headers addressed. The results indicate that a regulator-led, privacy-preserving, tamper-evident ledger can improve medicine authenticity verification and recall responsiveness while maintaining compliance and data protection obligations. Full article

The aim of this research was to quantify the capacity of different shrub species to remove atmospheric CO₂, to adsorb particulate matter and to dissipate latent heat through transpiration. A total of 308 established plants comprising Deutzia scabra, Elaeagnus × ebbingei, Euonymus japonicus, Forsythia × intermedia, Laurus nobilis, Ligustrum vulgare, Pittosporum tobira, Prunus laurocerasus and Viburnum tinus were selected in Lugano (Switzerland) and Bolzano (Italy). Stem diameter, crown radius, Leaf Area Index, net CO₂ assimilation per unit leaf area (A_leaf), transpiration, and stomatal conductance (g_s) were measured during spring, summer, and fall. The net CO₂ assimilation per unit of crown projection area and per plant were calculated by upscaling A_leaf using a multilayer model. Latent heat dissipation was calculated using the Penman–Monteith equation. The amount of PM trapped on leaves was measured using a gravimetric method. Differences in leaf area and leaf gas exchange among species affected their capacity to deliver specific ecosystem services. Forsythia, Pittosporum, Elaeagnus and Deutzia removed about 40% more CO₂ per unit crown projection area than Laurus, Ligustrum, and Euonymus. Latent heat dissipation by shrubs was, on average, 130 W m⁻², which is comparable to that of tree species. PM removal per unit leaf area was higher in species with sparse canopies and rough leaf surfaces. Full article

Brosimum alicastrum Swartz (Mayan Nut) is a traditional Mesoamerican resource with nutritional potential exceeding many cereal grains, yet its therapeutic efficacy relative to processing remains under-researched. This study investigated the impact of geographic origin and processing on its hypolipidemic and antioxidant properties. Seed flours from Campeche (green raw—GsF), Nayarit (dried—DsF), and Yucatán (commercial roasted—RsF) were evaluated. Following proximal analysis and acute toxicity screening (up to 2000 mg/kg), effects were tested in a tyloxapol-induced hypertriglyceridemia rat model monitoring triglyceride (TG), and hepatic oxidative stress (OS) biomarkers. Proximal profiles were stable across regions. All samples were non-lethal, and, significantly, DsF and RsF achieved a maximum reduction of TG and protein carbonyl content (PCC) at only 200 mg/kg, whereas raw GsF required 2000 mg/kg. Hypertriglyceridemia induced a compensatory increase in SOD activity (~555%), which was maintained across all treated groups. Conversely, tyloxapol depleted GSH-Px activity by 16%, and only DsF, at 20 mg/kg, preserved activity statistically similar to the healthy control (6.71 ± 0.65 IU/μL). Drying and roasting seemed critical for enhancing the acute therapeutic effects observed at lower dosages. Full article

Optimizing orchard mulching regimes is a pivotal strategy for mitigating the detrimental effects of water scarcity and soil degradation on kiwifruit productivity in the Guanzhong Plain, China. To characterize the integrated effects of varying mulching patterns, a two-year field study was conducted in a kiwifruit (Actinidia deliciosa) orchard, evaluating four treatments: (1) FG: intra-row fabric with inter-row grass (multiple mulch); (2) FN: intra-row fabric with inter-row bare soil; (3) NG: intra-row bare soil with inter-row grass; and (4) NN: intra-row bare soil with inter-row bare soil. Understanding the impacts of these regimes on the edaphic environment, photosynthetic performance, and sugar metabolism is essential for improving kiwifruit production under semi-arid conditions. The results demonstrated that the FG treatment significantly improved soil water storage (SWS), with an increase of 1.83–55.16 mm, and enhanced the soil nutrient content (NH₄⁺-N, NO₃⁻-N, and soil organic matter), thereby optimizing the rhizosphere environment. During the critical phenological stages, the FG treatment increased the leaf photosynthetic parameters, such as the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), and stomatal conductance (Gs), while reducing the intercellular CO₂ concentration (Ci). Specifically, grass mulching (FG and NG) elevated the chlorophyll a content during early growth and carotenoids levels throughout reproduction, whereas fabric mulching (FG and FN) enhanced the chlorophyll b content throughout the entire reproductive period. Collectively, these improvements bolstered photosynthetic efficiency and may have contributed to improved carbon allocation and sugar accumulation. All three mulching treatments (FG, FN, and NG) significantly improved the fruit yield-related parameters, including the total fruit number per plant (PFN), single fruit weight (SFW), and yield (Y), as well as the fruit sugar-related indices, such as soluble solids content (TSS), total soluble sugar content (TS), reducing sugar (TRS), and the sugar–acid ratio (SAR). The partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) revealed that these improvements were primarily driven by the synergistic optimization of SWS and photosynthetic productivity. Notably, the model identified a physiological trade-off between yield formation and sugar accumulation, while the overall fruit quality exerted a strong positive influence on sugar metabolism. The correlation analysis indicated that the higher fruit sucrose accumulation under the FG and FN treatments were associated with increased sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) and sucrose synthase (SS) activities, suggesting a potential link between mulching-induced improvements in plant physiological status and sucrose metabolism. These findings suggest that the combined use of intra-row fabric and inter-row grass mulching (FG) provides a sustainable strategy for enhancing soil conditions and fruit quality in water-limited kiwifruit orchards. Full article

International research and policy frameworks underscore the value of mandatory energy regulations in reducing energy demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the built environment. However, Global South (GS) countries experience several challenges in effectively implementing building energy efficiency codes (BEECs), as codes are either absent, unevenly adopted or inconsistently enforced. A poor alignment with the specific climatic, socio-economic and construction realities further limits the potential of BEECs to support GS climate resilience. This research aims to identify opportunities to enhance building energy regulatory practices by exploring recent progress in the field. It also systematically evaluates existing mandatory BEECs in the GS to identify models and principles that could guide the development of more effective codes, specifically for GS countries without BEECs. It is hypothesised that the mandatory BEECs currently implemented in GS countries can be analysed using contextually relevant criteria to reveal common regulatory patterns, strengths, and shortcomings, thereby informing a climate-responsive framework suited to GS realities. This research implemented a two-tiered literature review. After determining the broad regulatory context, an exploratory review of the current state of the art in BEEC research was conducted. These publications (primarily 2016–2025) were obtained via a systematic query in Scopus. Following the exploratory review, this study performed a Systematic Quantitative Literature Review (SQLR) to assess mandatory BEECs from 18 GS countries. The findings reveal that BEECs are useful for delivering energy-efficient buildings in the real world. However, ample opportunities exist to improve their comprehensiveness in context and coverage. Improving regulatory implementation systems and structures, along with robust stakeholder engagement, can support better BEEC design and enforcement. To address the need for contextualised BEECs, the SQLR helped develop a taxonomy by comparing the mandatory codes. This research also introduces the Sustainable Level Indicator Model, Matrix, and Map (SLIM³) prototype, proposed as a decision-support tool, and hosted on an interactive online platform, thereby potentially contributing to real-world building energy regulatory practices. The SLIM³ tool organises the mandatory BEECs into a coherent, accessible framework that could assist GS decision-makers in benchmarking existing and new codes, identifying gaps and prioritising contextually appropriate improvements, thus contributing to a more resource-efficient built environment. Full article

This systematic review examines how organisational resilience is conceptualised, enacted, and enabled in the Digital Age, characterised by Artificial Intelligence (AI), Generative AI, the Internet of Things (IoT), Big Data, and Robotics. Despite their transformative potential, these technologies are often treated as peripheral tools rather than core mechanisms in resilience architectures. Adopting a critical realist paradigm, we conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) following the PRISMA 2020 protocol to review thirty (30) peer-reviewed empirical studies (2017–present). A pre-SLR conceptual framework, linking Business Intelligence and Responsiveness constructs, guided data extraction and synthesis. Building on this, we propose a conceptual framework and explanatory model grounded in the Context–Mechanism–Outcome logic. The model distinguishes generative mechanisms (real domain), organisational responses (actual domain), and observable indicators (empirical domain). The review identifies Collective Capability (CC), Adaptive Capability (AC) and Dynamic Capability (DC) mechanisms as key generative powers, with Digital Age enablers embedded within Adaptive Capability (AC) and Dynamic Capability (DC). Together, these mechanisms contribute to Systemic Preparedness (SP), Rapid Recovery (RR) and Generative Stability (GS), thereby supporting the emergence of Organisational Resilience (OR). This reconceptualises resilience as an emergent, non-linear outcome of mechanism interactions, offering a unified direction. Future research should prioritise longitudinal multi-case studies and quantitative testing of Context–Mechanism–Outcome configurations, supported by mixed-method designs to validate and refine the proposed framework. Full article

High-resolution images of non-cooperative spacecraft are essential for on-board autonomous operations. Hardware bandwidth limits and continuously changing observation distances mean that a practical super-resolution (SR) system must handle arbitrary, non-integer magnification factors without retraining, a setting known as arbitrary-scale SR (ASSR). Recent 2D Gaussian splatting (2DGS) methods represent image content with explicit anisotropic Gaussian primitives and render at any continuous coordinate, offering substantially faster inference than implicit neural representation (INR) approaches. Yet spacecraft imagery presents a structural mismatch for uniform 2DGS regression: the target occupies a small, densely structured region within a vast, featureless deep-space background, so a network that minimizes average reconstruction loss inevitably over-invests capacity in the irrelevant background and smears the fine edges of antennas and solar panels. We propose S³R-GS, a saliency-guided framework that embeds semantic spatial priors into the 2DGS pipeline at three levels: an encoder-level module that suppresses background noise before it reaches the splatting stage; a discrete Gaussian routing mechanism that assigns each spatial location to a semantically appropriate kernel group and reformulates Gaussian modeling as semantic prototype selection; and a saliency-weighted training strategy that concentrates the optimization gradient on the spacecraft target. Experiments on the SPEED and SPEED+ benchmarks show that S³R-GS achieves strong PSNR performance, competitive SSIM, and improved perceptual quality across scale factors from $\times 2$ to $\times 12$; additional ablation, extreme-lighting, and efficiency analyses further support the robustness and practicality of the proposed design. Full article

The expression of two genes, Fum1 and Fum2, encoding the mitochondrial and cytosolic forms of fumarase (EC 4.2.1.2); the methylation of individual CpGs of their promoters; and fumarase activity were studied in sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) leaves depending on irradiation and salinity. Fumarase activity was twice as high in darkness compared to irradiation by white light and red light, while far-red light applied after darkness or after red light reverted the activity to the values in darkness, which indicates the involvement of phytochrome. Using qRT-PCR, it was demonstrated that this corresponded to the pattern of expression of the Fum1 gene, while the expression of the Fum2 gene was higher upon irradiation by white and red light, and lower in darkness and under far-red light. Under the application of 150 mM NaCl for 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 h, fumarase activity increased fivefold from the start of incubation to 6 h, and then decreased after 12 h. These changes were associated with the transcriptional regulation of the Fum1 and Fum2 genes. Changes in the methylation status of the analyzed CpGs in their gene promoters, detected via semi-quantitative methylation-specific PCR, were associated with differences in their expression. The higher methylation levels of the analyzed CpGs in the Fum1 gene promoter under different light conditions and in the Fum2 gene promoter under salinity corresponded to low levels of their transcripts in sunflower leaves. It is suggested that the mitochondrial and cytosolic forms of fumarase are regulated by light and salinity at the gene expression level, presumably through changes in the methylation status of individual CpGs in their promoters. Full article

Background/Objectives: Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a candidate for immune checkpoint blockade; however, current biomarkers remain insufficient to predict therapeutic response or capture tumor-intrinsic mechanisms. Enhancer of Zeste Homolog 2 (EZH2)-mediated epigenetic repression has been implicated in immune evasion, yet the contribution of EZH2-repressed genes to anti-tumor immunity and clinical outcomes in TNBC remains unclear. We aimed to identify EZH2-associated epigenetically repressed genes in TNBC and evaluate their relevance as tumor-intrinsic regulators and potential predictors of immunotherapy outcome. Methods: We performed integrative in silico analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) breast cancer cohorts to identify EZH2-associated hypermethylated genes in TNBC. A composite 30-gene signature (30GS) was defined based on transcriptional repression and promoter hypermethylation. Associations with clinical outcomes, tumor- and immune-related programs, and therapeutic response were evaluated, with validation in the I-SPY2 cohort and an independent TNBC patient cohort. Results: The 30GS was significantly reduced in TNBC and basal-like tumors and associated with improved clinical outcomes and enrichment of tumor- and immune-related signatures. In the I-SPY2 cohort, the 30GS predicted pathological complete response in patients receiving chemo-immunotherapy (AUC = 0.7377, p = 0.0007). Gene-level analysis identified Dual Specificity Phosphatase 5 (DUSP5) as the gene most consistently associated with immune-related parameters. In an independent TNBC cohort, DUSP5-high tumors demonstrated transcriptional programs enriched for inflammatory, immune-related, and signaling pathways within the NanoString Breast Cancer 360 panel. Conclusions: This study defines an EZH2-associated epigenetic program linked to tumor-intrinsic immune programs in TNBC and identifies DUSP5 as a candidate gene associated with immune-related transcriptional states. Full article

Under grazing conditions, it is difficult for lactating Yili mares to meet their nutritional requirements and those of their suckling foals solely through the consumption of natural pasture. Furthermore, seasonal variations and rainfall significantly influence the quality and nutrient content of forage, which severely constrains the healthy breeding of Yili horses and the industrial development of mare milk resources. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of concentrate supplementation on lactation performance and milk concentrations of amino acids, fatty acids, and mineral elements in Yili horses under grazing conditions. Twenty-two healthy Yili mares in early lactation, with similar ages (3–4 years), foaling dates, and body weights (391.5 ± 13.74 kg), were randomly assigned to either a grazing group (G, n = 11) or a grazing + supplementation group (GS, n = 11). Mares in group G grazed naturally on pasture, while those in group GS received 1 kg of concentrate supplement twice daily (totaling 2 kg/day) in addition to grazing. The experimental period lasted for 100 days, including a 10-day adaptation period and a 90-day formal experimental period. The results showed that: (1) In terms of lactation performance, the GS group exhibited highly significant increases in milk yield and lactose yield (p < 0.01), as well as significant increases in milk protein and milk fat yields (p < 0.05), with an extended duration of the peak lactation period. (2) Regarding the amino acid profile, the concentrations of threonine (Thr), serine (Ser), glycine (Gly), and alanine (Ala) in the milk of the GS group were significantly higher than those in the G group (p < 0.05), whereas the proline (Pro) content was significantly lower (p < 0.01); supplementation improved the uptake of certain functional amino acids by the mammary gland. (3) Concerning the fatty acid profile, the concentrations of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and alpha-linolenic acid in the milk of the G group were significantly or highly significantly higher than those in the GS group (p < 0.05 or p < 0.01). (4) For mineral elements, concentrate supplementation highly significantly decreased the potassium (K) content and the K/Na ratio in horse milk (p < 0.01), highly significantly increased the levels of iron (Fe) and cobalt (Co) (p < 0.01), and significantly enhanced the chromium (Cr) content (p < 0.05). In conclusion, concentrate supplementation during grazing improved lactation performance in Yili mares, primarily by increasing milk yield and extending the peak lactation period. However, grazing alone was more favorable for maintaining higher PUFA and α-linolenic acid proportions in milk. Therefore, concentrate supplementation should be regarded as a nutritional strategy that increases milk output and modifies amino acid and mineral element composition, but may involve a trade-off with some beneficial fatty acids. Full article

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 viruses of the goose/Guangdong (Gs/GD) lineage have driven a global panzootic since 2020, with clade 2.3.4.4b establishing sustained transmission in wild birds. In South America, early outbreaks were largely associated with the North American-derived B3.2 genotype, which showed limited diversification after its introduction. Here, we report the genomic characterization of eight H5N1 viruses detected in Uruguay during the reemergence of avian influenza in February–March 2026. Complete genomes were obtained from wild birds exhibiting neurological signs, predominantly Coscoroba coscoroba. All viruses belong to clade 2.3.4.4b but exhibit a reassortant genomic constellation distinct from B3.2. The HA, NA, and MP segments retain the Eurasian backbone, whereas internal genes derive from both South American and North American low-pathogenicity avian influenza lineages. PB2 variation distinguishes two closely related viral groups differing in PB2 origin, whereas the remaining genomic segments retain a shared background. Sequence variation in the neuraminidase gene reduced the sensitivity of a widely used N1-specific RT-qPCR assay, highlighting limitations of existing diagnostic tools during viral evolution. These findings confirm the presence of reassortant H5N1 viruses in Uruguay and, together with recent reports from Argentina and Brazil, support an emerging pattern of genomic diversification in southern South America. Full article

With the growing security requirements of sensor nodes in Internet of Things (IoT) systems, conventional silicon-circuit-based physical unclonable functions (PUFs) still face limitations in circuit overhead, design complexity, and system integration. To address these challenges, this paper proposes a lightweight gas sensor PUF (GS-PUF) design based on a Ni-doped SnO₂ nanoscale gas sensor array. The proposed method exploits both the unavoidable process randomness introduced during sensor fabrication and the device-to-device electrical response variations induced by gas–material interactions as entropy sources, thereby enabling high-quality PUF response generation. At the device level, Ni-SnO₂ nanomaterials are prepared by electrostatic spray deposition (ESD), and an indirectly heated gas sensor array is constructed to enhance the sensitivity and stability of the sensing response. At the algorithmic level, a random resistance balancing algorithm based on multi-sensor combinational comparison is proposed. By randomly comparing the summed resistances of multiple sensor clusters, a 128-bit multi-bit PUF response is generated, while the uniformity and independence of the output bits are effectively improved. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed GS-PUF exhibits excellent randomness, uniqueness, and reliability: the information entropy of the PUF responses is greater than 0.99, approaching the ideal value; the probabilities of output bits “1” and “0” are 0.4988 and 0.5012, respectively, indicating a well-balanced distribution; the inter-device uniqueness reaches 49.8%, close to the ideal value of 50%; all items in the NIST randomness test suite are passed, with all p-values exceeding 0.01 and the minimum p-value being 0.0368, confirming a high level of statistical randomness confidence. In addition, long-term measurements under fixed laboratory conditions show that the PUF response reliability remains above 96%. Compared with other sensor-based PUFs, the proposed method provides a lightweight sensing-security integration approach for IoT sensor nodes by reusing intrinsic gas-sensor response variations and avoiding an additional dedicated silicon PUF circuit. Full article

To investigate the heterogeneous interactions between various agricultural business entities (abbreviated as ABEs, including farmers, cooperatives and enterprises) and agricultural land transfer (abbreviated as ALT) in China, this study constructs a spatial simultaneous equation model based on the GS3SLS method and applied to data from 30 provinces in 2012–2020. The results show the following: (1) ABEs and ALT demonstrate significant bidirectional positive correlations at the intra-regional level, especially among farmers, while cooperatives and enterprises exhibit more pronounced spatial spillover effects. (2) Despite overall positive correlations, negative interactions emerge in specific entities of some regions (e.g., central China’s ALT among farmers vs. central China’s ABEs among farmers, and eastern China’s ABEs among enterprises vs. neighboring ABEs among enterprises). Conversely, cooperatives maintain universally positive ABE-ALT interactions, peaking in central/western regions. (3) The co-development of ABEs and ALT exhibits temporal heterogeneity: the growth in the number of farmer ABEs lags behind their agricultural land transfer (ALT), whereas for cooperatives and agricultural enterprises, ALT lags behind their growth in numbers. This indicates that the relationship between agricultural operators (“human”) and land transfer (“land”) needs to be reconfigured. The heterogeneous interactive relationships revealed in this study provide a solid theoretical basis for formulating differentiated and precise policies on the transfer of agricultural land and the coordination of various operating entities, so as to efficiently promote agricultural modernization. Full article