Search Results (11,406)

Liver disease represents a major global health burden, and early diagnosis is essential for reducing mortality. Machine learning (ML) approaches offer non-invasive alternatives to conventional diagnostics, yet existing studies on liver disease prediction often lack systematic feature selection, apply resampling before data splitting (introducing leakage), and report results from single train-test splits without statistical testing. This study proposes a Hybrid Feature Selection (HFS) framework combining Pearson-correlation-based redundancy elimination with a weighted Information Gain–Gain Ratio scoring function, integrated with SMOTE within a leakage-free pipeline. The framework is evaluated on two benchmarks—the Indian Liver Patient Dataset (ILPD, n = 583) and the BUPA Liver Disorders Dataset (n = 345)—across ten classifiers and ten independent train-test splits, with significance assessed via paired Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. On ILPD, the HFS + SMOTE pipeline produced statistically significant ROC-AUC improvements (p < 0.05) in five of ten classifiers and resolved majority-class collapse, raising mean Specificity from 0.00–0.33 to 0.61–0.92. A 2 × 2 ablation study confirmed that HFS and SMOTE contribute independently, with SMOTE driving the Specificity transformation and HFS reducing feature-space noise. Sensitivity analyses demonstrated robustness to the weighting parameter w and confirmed k = 6 as the optimal feature count. Replication on BUPA—which exhibits near-perfect class balance and no feature redundancy—produced a principled null result, confirming that the pipeline’s effectiveness is mechanistically linked to dataset characteristics. The HFS algorithm consistently identified four clinically meaningful core features (AST, ALT, Total Bilirubin, Age) across all runs, validated by SHAP and Permutation Importance stability analysis. Full article

Early engagement with psychotherapy is a public mental health issue because potential patients’ first appraisals of psychological care may shape treatment expectations, willingness to continue, and openness to receiving effective support. In first-contact therapeutic encounters, people respond not only to the content of a therapist’s intervention but also to the interpersonal meaning conveyed by the therapist’s response style. Guided by a recognition–resistance framework and models of narcissistic self-regulation, we examined how therapist response style and trait narcissistic admiration and rivalry shape early appraisals of psychological care in a vignette-based psychotherapeutic encounter. In a between-subjects vignette experiment, Hebrew-speaking adults in Israel (N = 972) were randomly assigned to read a validation-based, recognition-supportive, autonomy-supportive therapist response or a more directive and challenging response to the same clinical scenario. Participants then reported perceived recognition, autonomy-related resistance, anticipated alliance, therapist credibility, expected benefit, and willingness to continue. The validation-based response elicited higher perceived recognition, lower autonomy-related resistance, and greater willingness to continue. Perceived recognition and autonomy-related resistance mediated the effects of response style on all therapy-related outcomes. Narcissistic admiration predicted more favorable appraisals, and narcissistic rivalry predicted lower recognition and greater resistance, but neither moderated style effects nor indirect pathways. Recognition and autonomy-related resistance emerged as proximal appraisal pathways linking therapist response style to anticipated engagement with psychological care in this analogue vignette context. However, the predicted moderation and moderated-mediation effects involving narcissistic admiration and rivalry were not supported. This pattern suggests that, in the present design, admiration and rivalry functioned more as general appraisal orientations than as differential-susceptibility moderators of therapist response style. The moderated-mediation component of the recognition–resistance framework should therefore be regarded as unsupported pending independent replication and more ecologically valid tests. These findings position first-contact therapist communication as a candidate modifiable feature of public mental health engagement, with implications for future research on treatment uptake, early retention, trust in services, and access to effective psychological care. Full article

Rare and safety-critical traffic situations remain challenging for autonomous driving (AD) because they are underrepresented in common training data and may include objects outside standard detector classes. This paper presents a real-time RGB-LiDAR fusion framework for detecting and reacting to rare traffic situations in CARLA (Car Learning to Act), a reproducible simulator for AD research. The approach combines YOLOv8n-based RGB perception, bird’s-eye-view (BEV) LiDAR clustering, decision-level fusion, an interpretable rule-based safety agent with hysteresis, Time-to-Collision (TTC)-aware escalation, and an automatic emergency braking (AEB) override above the CARLA autopilot. Fused observations are classified as semantic–geometric detections, semantic-only detections, or geometric-only obstacle candidates, where unmatched LiDAR clusters are treated conservatively as candidate-level physical evidence rather than confirmed rare objects. The framework was evaluated on three CARLA maps and 3CSim-inspired corner-case scenarios comprising 19,253 frames, with additional weather/lighting stress tests and a public nuScenes mini cross-platform check. On a manually annotated subset of 4800 CARLA frames, corresponding to approximately $24.9\%$ of the recorded CARLA log, the full framework achieved $96.2\%$ precision, $97.3\%$ recall, and a $96.7\%$ F1-score for safety-relevant threat detection. The control experiments show that the fusion-based safety agent reduced unnecessary braking to $1.7\%$ compared with $8.6\%$ for the LiDAR-only baseline and achieved event-level success on the annotated critical intervals. The proposed CPU-only implementation maintained real-time performance, with an average processing time of $34.7\mathrm{ms}$. Full article

Objectives: To assess the feasibility and reproducibility of predicting antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in Escherichia coli from MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry data using a standardized, open-source machine learning (ML) workflow, we systematically compared four ML algorithms, evaluated the impact of culture conditions, extract storage, and spectral preprocessing on model performance, and validated results through nested cross-validation with statistical significance testing. Methods: A total of 282 clinical E. coli isolates were analyzed. Two MALDI-TOF MS datasets were generated from freshly cultured extracts (T₁) and recultured isolates one year later (T₃), yielding 4468 spectra. A third dataset from the T₁ extracts stored at −20 °C for one year (T₂) was evaluated for spectral stability but excluded from primary modeling likely due to storage-induced degradation. Protein spectra (m/z 2000–15,000) were preprocessed using an in-house developed MALDI-TOF preprocessing pipeline (MTPP) comprising variance stabilization, Savitzky–Golay smoothing, SNIP baseline correction, TIC normalization, LOWESS alignment, and MAD-based peak detection (SNR ≥ 3), yielding 121 m/z features. Four classifiers—Random Forest (RF), Logistic Regression, Support Vector Machine, and Gradient Boosting—were trained to predict resistance to 11 antibiotics using nested cross-validation: outer GroupShuffleSplit (5-fold, isolate-level) for evaluation and inner GroupKFold for recursive feature elimination (RFECV) and hyperparameter tuning (RandomizedSearchCV). Classification thresholds were optimized via the precision–recall curve. Model performance was assessed using AUROC, AUPRC, F1-score, Matthews Correlation Coefficient (MCC), and bootstrap 95% confidence intervals (1000 replicates). Pairwise model comparisons were tested with McNemar’s chi-squared test. Results: Among the 12 antibiotics included in the analysis (meropenem excluded for absence of resistance), resistance prevalence ranged from 1.1% (colistin) to 59.9% (amoxicillin). Colistin was subsequently also excluded from ML modeling due to insufficient resistant isolates (n = 3), leaving 11 antibiotics for prediction. The best predictive performance was observed for ciprofloxacin (AUROC 0.76 [95% CI 0.74–0.77]; F1 0.54; MCC 0.38) and ceftazidime (AUROC 0.68 [0.65–0.71]; F1 0.36; MCC 0.29), using 13 and 37 RFECV-selected features, respectively. Amoxicillin achieved the highest F1-score (0.76), driven by high recall (0.98) but modest AUROC (0.58). No meaningful predictive signal was detected for amikacin, cefepime, or tigecycline (AUROC ≤ 0.57, F1 ≤ 0.17), attributable to extreme class imbalance, and no robust multi-peak resistance signature was detected in this dataset. McNemar’s test confirmed that RF significantly outperformed Logistic Regression for all antibiotics (p < 0.01), while Gradient Boosting performed comparably to RF for ciprofloxacin (p = 0.17) and ceftazidime (p = 0.28). Frozen extracts (T₂) produced lower spectral similarity and were excluded from model training; the aligned T₁₊₃ dataset yielded the most stable performance across metrics. Conclusions: Machine learning analysis of MALDI-TOF spectra enables reproducible AMR prediction for selected antibiotics in E. coli, with ciprofloxacin and ceftazidime showing the strongest signal. Nested isolate-level cross-validation, multi-model comparison with statistical testing, and open-source code provide a transparent, reproducible foundation for integrating ML-assisted MALDI-TOF analysis into diagnostic AMR surveillance. Extract storage at −20 °C degrades spectral quality and should be avoided in ML training workflows. Full article

This study investigates the influence of barrel filling ratio on the microstructure, phase composition, and tribological performance of detonation-sprayed Cr₃C₂–NiCr coatings. Coatings were deposited at barrel filling ratios of 43% and 53% under identical spraying conditions. Microstructural characterization revealed the formation of dense lamellar coatings with low porosity and uniform distribution of Cr₃C₂ carbide particles within the NiCr metallic matrix. Compared with the coating deposited at a barrel filling ratio of 43%, the coating deposited at 53% exhibited a denser microstructure. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed that Cr₃C₂ and NiCr remained the dominant phases after spraying, while a minor amount of Cr₇C₃ formed due to partial decarburization of chromium carbide during thermal exposure. Tribological performance was evaluated under dry sliding conditions using a ball-on-disc configuration at normal loads of 10 and 15 N and sliding speeds of 5 and 10 cm/s. Wear volume was determined from the geometry of the wear track after testing, and wear rate was calculated accordingly. The coating produced at a barrel filling ratio of 53% demonstrated improved wear resistance under elevated loads despite exhibiting a higher coefficient of friction. The minimum wear rate reached 1.23 × 10⁻⁴ mm³/(m·N), which was associated with reduced porosity and enhanced structural integrity of the coating. The obtained results demonstrate that optimization of detonation spraying parameters significantly affects coating structure and tribological behavior. The developed Cr₃C₂–NiCr coatings are promising protective materials for components operating under severe friction and wear conditions, including industrial and high-temperature engineering applications. Full article

In geological carbon storage, cyclic casing loading can induce micro-annuli in the B-annulus cement sheath, risking CO₂ leakage. Compared with conventional cement, the Sn58Bi low-melting-point alloy boasts excellent flowability and favorable elastoplastic behavior, emerging as a promising sealing alternative. This study focuses on enhancing wellbore integrity by using Sn58Bi alloy to seal the B-annulus cement sheath. An experimental system was established to simulate micro-annulus evolution, with gas migration tests conducted under cyclic internal pressure to systematically evaluate the effects of temperature and cyclic loading on the alloy’s sealing performance. Additionally, a three-layer casing–annulus–formation coupling model was constructed to investigate the radial displacement of the Sn58Bi alloy sheath and cement sheath at 30 °C and 20 MPa casing pressure, clarifying their distinct mechanical responses. Results show that the alloy’s sealing performance improves with temperature (30–90 °C), while elevated cyclic internal pressure accelerates gas breakthrough and reduces sustainable cycles. Under identical conditions (30 °C, 20 MPa), Sn58Bi alloy exhibits significantly superior CO₂ sealing capacity to conventional cement. This study confirms the alloy’s potential for enhancing wellbore integrity and provides theoretical support for its application in B-annulus plugging during subsurface carbon storage. Full article

CoCrNiTiAl_x high-entropy alloy films with varied Al contents were fabricated on 42CrMo steel substrates via magnetron sputtering. By adjusting the sputtering power of the Al target, an investigation was systematically carried out to explore the effect of different Al contents on the microstructural evolution, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of the film, with the underlying synergistic mechanism governing these properties being elucidated. With increasing Al content, the film microstructure gradually transforms from an amorphous phase at low Al contents to a nanocrystalline–amorphous composite structure, until it is converted into the BCC phase, and the film’s crystallinity exhibits a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. In terms of mechanical properties, the film hardness is significantly enhanced from 7.6 ± 1.3 GPa to 18.9 ± 1.1 GPa with increasing Al content, while the toughness gradually declines. Wear tests show that the film wear rate first decreases and then increases with rising Al content, reaching a minimum of 2.06 × 10⁻⁵ mm³/N·m. The superior protective state, characterized by a corrosion potential reaching −361.2 mV and corrosion current density dropping to 1.12 μA/cm², arises from the generation of an integrated, consistently structured composite passivation barrier in 3.5 wt.% solution. This study confirms that appropriate Al doping can synergistically optimize the microstructure, mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance of CoCrNiTiAl_x films, providing experimental and theoretical support for the compositional design and engineering applications of high-performance high-entropy alloy protective films. Full article

Background/Objectives: The increasing prevalence of antimicrobial resistance has become a major challenge in the management of Helicobacter pylori infection and is a leading cause of eradication failure. Resistance to clarithromycin and fluoroquinolones is primarily mediated by mutations in the 23S rRNA and gyrA genes, respectively. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of resistance-associated mutations in the 23S rRNA and gyrA genes, investigate their relationship with phenotypic antimicrobial resistance, assess their impact on eradication outcomes, and develop a prediction model for treatment failure. Methods: This retrospective real-world cohort study included 294 adult patients with confirmed H. pylori infection evaluated at the Oradea County Emergency Clinical Hospital, Romania, between November 2022 and November 2025. Clinical, endoscopic, histopathological, microbiological, molecular, and treatment outcome data were collected from medical records. Resistance-associated mutations in the 23S rRNA (A2143G, A2142G, and A2142C) and gyrA (N87K, D91G, and D91N) genes were analyzed and correlated with phenotypic antimicrobial resistance and eradication outcomes. Independent predictors of eradication failure were identified using multivariable logistic regression, and a prediction model was subsequently developed. Results: Overall, 101 patients (34.4%) harbored 23S rRNA mutations and 64 (21.8%) carried gyrA mutations, while 27 patients (9.2%) exhibited mutations in both genes. A2143G was the most frequent mutation (25.2%). Resistance-associated mutations showed strong concordance with phenotypic antimicrobial resistance. Patients with wild-type strains achieved eradication rates exceeding 90%, whereas significantly lower success rates were observed among patients carrying A2143G, A2142G, or gyrA mutations. Multivariable analysis identified previous eradication attempts (aOR 3.12, 95% CI 1.71–5.68), A2143G mutation (aOR 4.86, 95% CI 2.43–9.72), gyrA mutation (aOR 2.91, 95% CI 1.45–5.84), increasing age (aOR 1.03, 95% CI 1.01–1.05), and treatment with clarithromycin-based triple therapy (aOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.02–4.63) as independent predictors of eradication failure. The prediction model demonstrated excellent discriminatory performance (AUC 0.88, 95% CI 0.84–0.92), with a sensitivity of 82.5%, specificity of 80.1%, and satisfactory calibration (Hosmer–Lemeshow p = 0.68). Conclusions: Resistance-associated mutations in the 23S rRNA and gyrA genes are strongly associated with phenotypic antimicrobial resistance and reduced H. pylori eradication success. Molecular resistance testing may facilitate individualized treatment selection and improve clinical outcomes. The proposed prediction model, integrating clinical characteristics, treatment regimen, and molecular resistance markers, demonstrated excellent performance and may represent a useful tool for identifying patients at increased risk of eradication failure. Full article

Ultrathin titanium alloy foils are attractive for engineering components requiring flexural compliance and mechanical support, yet their recoverable deformation behavior at the foil scale remains insufficiently characterized. This study evaluates 30 μm Ti–24Nb–4Zr–8Sn (wt.%, Ti2448) foils in the as-rolled and solution-treated states and compares their tensile loading–unloading response with same-thickness CP Ti and Ti–6Al–4V reference foils. The Ti2448 foils exhibit a larger recoverable-deformation window and a lower apparent loading modulus than the reference foils under the same testing protocol. The highest recoverable strain is obtained in the solution-treated longitudinal condition, indicating that the recoverable deformation is sensitive to both processing state and loading direction. These results suggest Ti2448 foils as potential candidates for flexure-related applications requiring large recoverable deformation. Full article

This study aimed to assess the remineralization efficacy of NaF gel enriched with hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HANPs) and bioactive glass nanoparticles (BAGNPs), with and without adjunctive Er, Cr: YSGG laser irradiation (ECL; 0.5 W, 5 Hz, 20 mJ/pulse, 60 µs pulse duration, water–air spray), on artificially demineralized enamel by evaluating enamel microhardness (MH), resin tag length (RTL), and shear bond strength (SBS) of pit and fissure sealants (PFSs). A total of 168 extracted human third molars free from cracks, fractures, erosion, enamel hypoplasia, surface irregularities, and any history of prior chemical or fluoride treatment were included in the study. All samples underwent continuous immersion in a demineralizing solution until specific DIAGNOdent values of 10-25 were achieved. Samples were randomly allocated into six groups (n = 28): Group 1 (untreated control), Group 2 (NaF gel), Group 3 (NaF + HANPs), Group 4 (NaF + BAGNPs), Group 5 (NaF + HANPs-ECL), and Group 6 (NaF + BAGNPs-ECL). Enamel MH was assessed using a Vickers MH tester (n = 8). RTL was evaluated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) (n = 8). SBS was measured using a universal testing machine (n = 12), followed by failure mode analysis. Data were analyzed using ANOVA and Tukey’s post hoc test (p < 0.05). Group 5 (NaF + HANPs-ECL) exhibited the highest values for MH (366.20 ± 26.11 HV), RTL (70.34 ± 2.57 µm), and SBS (13.67 ± 0.35 MPa), whereas the untreated control group exhibited the lowest values for all the outcomes. Groups 1 and 2 demonstrated comparable RTL and SBS values (p > 0.05). The remaining groups exhibited significantly different MH, RTL, and SBS values (p < 0.05). The ECL-assisted nanoparticle-integrated NaF gel significantly enhanced enamel MH, RTL, and shear SBS of PFS compared to NaF gel alone. HANPs demonstrated superior remineralization outcomes compared to BAGNPs across all tested parameters. The present findings support the adjunctive use of laser activation with nanoparticle-modified NaF gel as a promising strategy for optimizing sealant performance on demineralized enamel. Full article

Brand personality is a strategic lever for higher education institutions facing intense competition. Although institutions commonly use social media video content to reach students, evidence on how content design affects brand personality perceptions is scarce. This study examines whether informational and entertaining Instagram videos differentially influence enrolled students’ brand personality perceptions and whether attitude toward the post mediates these effects. A between-subjects online experiment was conducted with enrolled students (N = 184) in Germany, a mature higher education system. Participants were randomly assigned to view a professionally produced video for a fictitious institution, either informational or entertaining. They then evaluated the post and the institution’s brand personality, measured with the University Brand Personality Scale and analyzed as vertical (prestige, sincerity, conscientiousness) and horizontal (appeal, liveliness, cosmopolitanism) facets. Effects were tested using simple mediation analyses. Informational content produced more favorable post attitudes than entertaining content. It had a large positive direct effect on vertical brand personality, complemented by a positive indirect effect via post attitude. For the horizontal facet, only the indirect effect was significant. The study provides the first experimental evidence on content-type effects on higher education brand personality in a mature system, guiding institutions’ social media communication. Full article

The extent to which cricket frass placement and rate regulate fertility restoration and crop response in tropical acidic sandy soil remains insufficiently resolved. This greenhouse bioassay tested whether incorporated or surface-applied cricket frass differentially improved soil fertility and Chinese kale biomass, and whether these responses were rate-dependent. Cricket frass was applied by incorporation or surface placement at 3.125, 6.25, and 12.5 Mg (tonnes) ha⁻¹ and compared with an unamended control. The frass had pH of 6.95, EC 19.6 mS cm⁻¹, 10.7 g N kg⁻¹, 8446 mg P kg⁻¹, and 12,425 mg K kg⁻¹ and a C:N ratio of 16.8. At 12.5 Mg ha⁻¹, incorporation produced the greatest shoot dry biomass (7.16 g plant⁻¹), exceeding surface placement (4.78 g plant⁻¹) and the control (1.70 g plant⁻¹). High-rate incorporation increased NH₄⁺–N, net ammonification, available P, and microbial activity, reduced exchangeable acidity, and promoted greater nutrient uptake. Pearson correlation analysis showed that shoot biomass was strongly associated with plant nutrient uptake, soil P, pH, CEC, NH₄⁺–N, and net ammonification, and was negatively associated with soil Al and exchangeable acidity. Both placement methods improved fertility and yield relative to the control, but incorporation was superior at the high rate. Surface placement remains useful where soil disturbance must be minimized, although field validation with larger soil volumes and rainfall-driven processes is required. Full article

Objective: This study examined whether HFE H63D carriers living at moderate-to-high altitude have a stronger secondary polycythemia phenotype than non-carriers from the same region. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included 59 patients with HFE gene mutation (heterozygous n = 49, homozygous n = 10) and 51 controls without HFE mutation (total N = 110). JAK2 V617F negativity was confirmed in all participants. Serum erythropoietin (EPO) levels were assessed in the HFE mutation group to support secondary, non-clonal erythrocytosis. Results: Hemoglobin (17.32 ± 1.29 vs. 15.11 ± 0.95 g/dL (p < 0.001), hematocrit (median 51.50 vs. 45.20; p < 0.001), and erythrocyte count (p < 0.001) were significantly higher in the HFE mutation group. Transferrin saturation was higher in the HFE mutation group than in controls (64.56 ± 2.03% vs. 36.30 ± 1.58%; p < 0.001; Cohen’s d = 0.95). Serum iron was higher and total iron-binding capacity was lower in the HFE mutation group, respectively (127.58 ± 44.10 vs. 93.62 ± 29.55 µg/dL and 194.32 ± 72.41 vs. 243.36 ± 40.82 µg/dL; both p < 0.001). CRP levels were also significantly elevated (p < 0.001). No significant differences were observed between the heterozygous and homozygous HFE mutation subgroup. Conclusions: HFE H63D carriers had higher erythrocytosis-related parameters and transferrin saturation than controls. These findings suggest that HFE-related changes in iron handling may strengthen the erythrocytosis phenotype at moderate-to-high altitude. Larger prospective studies should test this association. Full article

This study investigated the effects of an 8-week Square-Stepping Exercise (SSE) program on lower-extremity muscle function and cognitive function in pre-frail older women. Sixty pre-frail older women aged 65 years and older were assigned to either an exercise group (n = 30) or a control group (n = 30). The SSE program was performed twice weekly for 60 min over 8 weeks. Functional mobility was assessed using the Time Up and Go (TUG) test, balance using the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), lower-extremity muscle strength using the 30 s Chair Stand Test, and cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE). Measurements were obtained at baseline, week 4, and week 8. Significant group × time interactions were observed for TUG (p < 0.001), lower-extremity muscle strength (p < 0.05), and MMSE (p < 0.001). The exercise group showed significant improvements in TUG, BBS, muscle strength, and MMSE values, whereas the control group showed no significant changes except for a slight change in TUG. TUG was significantly correlated with balance, muscle strength, and cognitive function. These findings suggest that an 8-week SSE program may improve selected physical function measures and global cognitive status, as assessed by the MMSE, in pre-frail older women. Full article

This study evaluates the performance of major types of conventional and bio-based plastic items commonly used in agriculture to provide comprehensive insights into their key structural and functional properties, including the chemical composition of the polymer matrix and additives, mechanical behavior, and thermal and radiometric properties. Twelve agricultural plastic (AP) items were analyzed: covering mulch films, geotextile ground cover, protection fleece and low tunnel fleece cover, fertilizer sack, fly trap, irrigation pipe, tree binding net, guide for tree, silage film and hay bales protection fabric. This selection of APs also encompasses a broad range of basic polymers, including conventional materials (mainly polyethylene and polypropylene) and bio-based formulations (primarily starch- or lignocellulose-containing blends). Mass spectrometry and infrared spectroscopy analyses were performed to assess polymer composition and additives. Mechanical properties were assessed through tensile and puncture tests; in addition, radiometric, thermogravimetric, surface wettability, water absorption and permeability tests were also performed to assess other relevant physical characteristics. The study identified significant differences among bio-based biodegradable APs and compared them with their conventional polyolefin-based counterparts. Material composition and structure were found to critically influence water interactions, shaping the balance between durability, degradation, and crop protection performance. Notably, bio-based mulch films exhibited higher water vapor permeability (0.6–1.1 × 10⁻¹³ g/m Pa s), reduced penetration resistance (12.1 N) and lowered impact and tensile strengths (21.8 MPa). Water interaction tests showed that the starch-based mulch film displayed very high swelling (above 100%), favoring biodegradation, whereas a biodegradable blend based on polyhydroxybutyrate and polybutylene succinate exhibited minimal swelling (<3%). Material composition and morphology were also key determinants of water vapor transport: dense polymer films provided superior moisture barriers (permeability range 0.013–0.04 × 10⁻¹³ g/m Pa s), while fibrous or biodegradable materials allowed enhanced vapor permeability. The results of this study, highlighting functionality, advantages and limitations of biodegradable APs versus conventional APs, are intended to guide future innovation in AP design, ensuring alignment with both the operational demands of modern agriculture and environmental sustainability goals. The data obtained from this study can support scientific advancements and policy recommendations on the use and management of plastics in agriculture. Full article