Search Results (5,220)

According to soil and atmospheric moisture conditions, drought can be categorized into soil drought, atmospheric drought, and compound drought. The effects of soil drought on evapotranspiration (ET) and canopy conductance (Gc) are extensively investigated in forests, but the responses of ET and Gc to atmospheric drought and compound drought still remain unclear in plantations. Environmental factors and ET were continuously measured in a Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantation located in the semi-arid areas of Northeast China during the growing seasons (May–September) in 2020–2024. Compared with non-drought, ET increased by 34.96% under atmospheric drought, and decreased by 23.58% and 28.86% under soil drought and combined drought, respectively. Compared with non-drought, Gc decreased by 29.27%, 15.19%, and 68.74% under atmospheric drought, soil drought, and combined drought, respectively. Different from other three water conditions, relative extractable water (REW) replaced net radiation as the most important influencing factor of ET under combined drought. And vapor pressure deficit (VPD) always had a relatively lower contribution to ET under the four water conditions. Unlike the other three water conditions, the dominant controlling factor of Gc was REW instead of VPD under combined drought. This study proved that different drought types have different effects on ET and Gc. Under warmer and drier climates, management practices such as pruning and thinning should be used to cope with the increasing water stress to ensure the sustainable development of the Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica plantations in the semi-arid areas of Northeast China. Full article

An increase in penetration of photovoltaic (PV) systems in a distribution system causes voltage regulation issues that create serious problems for the On-Load Tap Changer (OLTC) of the power transformer, leading to higher tap-changing frequency and reduced transformer life. Traditional voltage control methods are ineffective when PV penetration exceeds load demand, and more sophisticated control methods are needed. This paper combines a systematic literature review conducted in accordance with the PRISMA 2020 guidelines with a case study on operational issues of OLTC transformers under both normal and non-normal operating conditions. It entails a detailed examination of the effect of PV integration on the operating characteristics of OLTC in a systematic approach and also dwells upon coordination processes between OLTC and Flexible AC Transmission Systems (FACTS) devices, such as Distribution Static Synchronous Compensator (D-STATCOM) or Static VAR Compensator (SVC), which are highly effective in reducing tap operations. The future directions covered in the review include the operation of hybrid systems, cost-effective implementations, weather effects, predictive analytics, adaptive control techniques, etc. The case study included online monitoring of OLTC performance in two scenarios at the cement factory. First, under supply changes and load changes. Second, including PV penetration. The results show that OLTC increases the average daily tapping frequency (90 taps/day) by about 60%, with full PV penetration. It is concluded that this can’t be applied without coordinated control among OLTC, D-STATCOM, and PV inverters to maintain transformer life, improve reliability, and provide stable voltage profiles even under highly variable PV generation conditions. These results aim to provide a comprehensive resource for academics and practitioners, facilitating the advancement of advanced voltage control methods to support the transition to sustainable energy systems. Full article

The bioclimatic optimum of wild Olea europaea var. sylvestris is broadly confined to the thermo- and mesomediterranean belts of the Mediterranean Basin, whereas cultivated olive (var. europaea) extends well beyond this envelope through varietal selection, supplementary irrigation and orchard-design adaptations. This exploratory convergent parallel mixed-methods study combines (i) a bioclimatic characterisation of six contrasting meteorological stations in southern Spain (Aracena, Arjona, Jódar, Ossa de Montiel, Tabernas, Torredonjimeno), with values reported for two reference periods (1971–2000 and the most recent World Meteorological Organization [WMO] 1991–2020 normal); and (ii) a single-group pre and post quasi-experimental intervention assessing perceived bioclimatic competence in 61 undergraduate students of Environmental Sciences. The ombrothermic index Io (annual positive precipitation/annual positive temperature × 10, a standardised indicator of water availability) ranges across the six stations from 5.88 (Aracena) to 1.14 (Tabernas); the results suggest a possible transition zone around Io ≈ 2.5 between rainfed-viable conditions and management-dependent olive cropping (irrigation, drought-tolerant varieties, soil–water conservation), although the present descriptive design does not formally demonstrate this transition. Comparison of climatic normals between the two periods indicates a consistent directional drying signal, with ΔIo negative across all six stations (sign test p = 0.031; Wilcoxon paired W = 0, p = 0.031). Self-reported student confidence rose significantly in all nine survey items (Wilcoxon signed-rank, p < 0.001 after Holm–Bonferroni correction; mean gain Δ = +1.04 on a five-point scale). Results are consistent with the hypotheses that olive cultivation outside its bioclimatic optimum may depend on agronomic compensations to remain productive, and that structured bioclimatic training can shift students’ perceived competence—acknowledging that the descriptive design does not directly demonstrate either claim, and the limitations of a single-group design and a self-report instrument. Full article

In response to an actual super-synchronous oscillation event in an offshore wind farm, this paper proposes a full-topology real-time simulation (FTRT) scheme based on a self-developed universal link library execution device. The technical challenges of FTRT are systematically analyzed, and a complete modeling and implementation methodology is established. Using this scheme, a hardware-in-the-loop real-time simulation platform incorporating the same type of field controller is built, and the 70 Hz voltage oscillation is accurately reproduced. The analysis reveals that the submarine-cable-based transmission network possesses an inherent resonance point in the super-synchronous frequency band. The system stability boundary is then evaluated by comparing the phase–frequency characteristics of the grid-side and wind-farm impedances. Finally, oscillation suppression measures, including controller parameter unification, impedance reshaping, and SVG (Static Var Generator) deployment, are proposed and verified. The adopted FTRT technology overcomes the accuracy limitations of conventional offline simulations and simplified mechanism analyses, and the results can provide reliable, direct engineering decision support for the planning, design, and operation of offshore wind farms. Full article

Background: False-positive variant calls generated within low-complexity regions (LCRs) remain a persistent bottleneck in clinical genomics, complicating downstream analysis. This study evaluates a targeted spatial masking strategy designed to suppress deterministic artifacts in short-read sequencing data, while preserving clinically actionable variants residing outside LCRs. We implemented a selective masking protocol prior to variant calling across analytical reference standards (EQA, NA12878) and two independent breast cancer whole-exome sequencing cohorts (n = 25). Methods: Callsets were evaluated for diagnostic sensitivity, precision gains, mutational signatures, VAF behavior, pseudo-multiallelic noise and ClinVar/dbSNP annotation. Results: The protocol removed thousands of sequencing and alignment artifacts while maintaining the retained biological callset, with negligible disease-associated diagnostic variants detected in the excluded artifact fraction. LCR masking preserved physiological Ti/Tv and Ins/Del profiles in retained calls, resolved pseudo-multiallelic noise, and distinguished excluded artifact calls by distorted mutational and VAF signatures. dbSNP profiling showed cohort-dependent behavior: TCGA-BRCA reproduced an intriguing phenomenon, with excluded calls showing higher dbSNP annotation than retained calls, whereas AURORA showed the opposite direction. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate the potential vulnerability of one-dimensional database annotation for variant authentication and highlight targeted spatial filtration as a critical, early pipeline intervention for high-fidelity clinical genomics of non-LCR-associated germline variants using short reads. Full article

Pinus kesiya var. langbianensis is a major commercial conifer in subtropical Yunnan, China, yet systematic genetic evaluation of its breeding populations remains scarce. We estimated genetic parameters for growth and stem form (SF) traits to support advanced-generation selection. In a progeny trial of 113 open-pollinated half-sib families established in 2013 at Pu’er, 2201 surviving trees were assessed at age 11 for height, diameter at breast height (DBH), stem volume, height to crown base (HCB), crown width, and an ordinal SF score. Variance components and breeding values (BVs) were estimated using linear mixed models, with a Bayesian threshold model as a sensitivity analysis for ordinal data. Family-mean heritabilities showed a gradient across growth traits (height 0.14, DBH 0.29, and volume 0.24). Stem volume had the highest genetic coefficient of variation (18.85%), the optimal selection target, whereas HCB lacked detectable genetic variance and SF was weakly controlled (0.09). Phenotypic and BV rankings diverged: although Yunjing Seed Orchard showed the highest phenotypic means, best linear unbiased prediction identified Jinggu Seed Orchard as contributing nine of the top ten families and 26 of the 35 elite individuals. A combined backward–forward strategy, ranking materials by volume BVs under a phenotypic threshold (SF ≥ 7), yielded predicted volume gains of 14.35% (family) and 15.01% (individual), providing a basis for second-cycle breeding pending multi-environment validation. Full article

Background: PURA-related neurodevelopmental disorder (PURA-NDD; OMIM #616158) is a rare autosomal dominant condition caused by pathogenic variants in the PURA gene encoding Purα, a multifunctional protein involved in DNA replication, transcriptional regulation, and RNA transport. Since its initial description in 2014, PURA-NDD has been increasingly recognized as a distinct clinical entity with early onset and a broad phenotypic spectrum. The clinical presentation is characterized primarily by neonatal hypotonia, global developmental delay, intellectual disability, feeding difficulties, and epilepsy, along with additional features such as respiratory insufficiency, movement disorders, hypersomnolence, and variable dysmorphic traits. Despite a relatively recognizable core phenotype, marked inter-individual variability often limits the ability to establish a definitive clinical diagnosis based on phenotype alone. This underscores the essential role of molecular genetic testing in the differential diagnosis of rare neurodevelopmental disorders. Patients and methods: We report a cohort of eight individuals (four males and four females) aged 17 months to 15.5 years with PURA-related neurodevelopmental disorder (PURA-NDD), evaluated using a genotype-first diagnostic strategy supported by comprehensive genomic testing, including next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels and whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Patients were referred for the evaluation of nonspecific neurodevelopmental features, including neonatal hypotonia, respiratory distress, and epilepsy, in the absence of a definitive clinical diagnosis. Results: Molecular analysis identified eight heterozygous variants in PURA, of which four (50%) were novel: c.311T>G p.(Met104Arg), c.406_407del p.(Gln136Glyfs64), c.515A>C p.(Gln172Pro), and c.885delinsGC p.(His296Profs21). The remaining variants included previously reported missense and frameshift changes associated with PURA-NDD, as well as one variant previously reported in ClinVar. Conclusions: Our findings not only confirm the core clinical features of PURA-related neurodevelopmental disorder but also contribute to a more comprehensive delineation of its phenotypic spectrum. The detailed characterization of our cohort broadens the range of recognized clinical manifestations and further highlights the marked phenotypic heterogeneity of PURA-NDD. In addition, the identification of both novel and previously reported pathogenic variants expands the mutational spectrum of PURA and underscores the importance of integrating clinical, molecular, and bioinformatic data for accurate variant interpretation. Although genotype–phenotype correlations remain incompletely understood, emerging evidence suggests potential associations between variant type or location and clinical severity, warranting further investigation in larger cohorts. The recognition of characteristic neonatal features may facilitate earlier diagnosis and implementation of supportive multidisciplinary management. Overall, this study illustrates how genomic technologies not only improve diagnostic yield in rare disorders but also refine disease definition, enhance the understanding of underlying pathogenic mechanisms, and support the development of more precise genotype–phenotype correlations. Further studies involving larger cohorts and long-term follow-up are needed to better define the full clinical and molecular spectrum of PURA-NDD. Full article

Expected shortfall (ES) is a tail functional whose estimation precision is governed by the effective tail sample size $n\alpha$ rather than by the nominal calibration size n. The resulting ${\left(n\alpha \right)}^{-1/2}$ information limit is well established, yet no practical framework exists for deciding whether two ES forecasts can be meaningfully distinguished over a finite calibration window. This paper converts the asymptotic rate into four operational diagnostics: a plug-in precision benchmark, a sample-size rule, a precision-fragile pairwise comparison screen, and a VaR-first diagnostic linking excess ES dispersion to first-stage quantile miscalibration. An empirical application to global financial assets and heterogeneous forecasters under standard regulatory tail parameters shows that roughly one in five pairwise ES comparisons is precision-fragile, with excess dispersion concentrated in cells with poor VaR calibration. The results suggest that ES forecast rankings at typical tail levels can be constrained by effective tail information rather than by model sophistication. Full article

Beneficial fungal–bacterial interactions are important drivers of rhizosphere microecology and plant–soil functional coupling in conifer seedling systems, but their strain-combination-specific effects remain insufficiently understood. In this study, Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica seedlings were inoculated with three plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) strains, Serratia plymuthica A13, Acinetobacter lwoffii A07, and Pseudomonas koreensis A20, the ectomycorrhizal fungal strain Suillus luteus N94, and their corresponding co-inoculation combinations. Seedling growth, root architecture, plant nutrients, soil nutrients, soil enzyme activities, bacterial and fungal communities, differential taxa, network key taxa, and plant–soil functional indices were analyzed. Different inoculation treatments produced treatment- and trait-specific responses, with several N94–PGPR combinations showing advantages in particular growth, root, and soil functional traits, while some single-inoculation treatments also showed distinct positive effects. N94_A20 showed the greatest increases in seedling height, total dry weight, soil available phosphorus, and soil multifunctionality, whereas N94_A07 showed the strongest root architecture response and relative interaction index. Co-inoculation also reshaped rhizosphere bacterial and fungal communities and generated treatment-specific microbial enrichment patterns. Massilia, Ramlibacter, Holtermanniella, and Naganishia were positively associated with plant–soil functional indices. These results indicate that PGPR–N94 co-inoculation promotes conifer seedling growth through coordinated changes in root architecture, nutrient acquisition, soil biochemical function, and rhizosphere microbial community assembly. Full article

Biofumigation is increasingly recognized as an effective strategy for managing soilborne diseases. However, the understanding of the mechanisms of biofumigation has mostly focused on its direct inhibitory effects on plant pathogens, while the rhizosphere microbe-mediated effects induced by biofumigation remain unclear. Here, we investigated the effects of broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica) biofumigation on potato Fusarium wilt caused by Fusarium oxysporum and elucidated the changes in rhizosphere bacterial assemblage under biofumigation. Results showed that biofumigation significantly reduced disease incidence and increased tuber yield. In vitro assays revealed a strong direct inhibition of F. oxysporum by broccoli biofumigation, but the inhibition rate decreased from 99.78% on the first day to 76.27% on the seventh day. High-throughput sequencing and culture-based analyses demonstrated that biofumigation significantly shifted bacterial community assemblage in potato rhizosphere, enriching antagonistic taxa against F. oxysporum. Functional prediction suggested that biofumigation enriched bacteria associated with nitrogen consumption and methylotrophy. The changes in the rhizosphere bacterial community showed significant correlations with the incidence and severity of Fusarium wilt, indicating that biofumigation indirectly enhanced crop resistance to plant pathogens by altering the rhizosphere microbial community. These findings extend the current understanding of biofumigation beyond direct chemical toxicity and classical antibiosis and highlight its potential as an ecological strategy that harnesses the plant-associated microbiome for disease management. Full article

This study investigates the time-varying connectedness between economic freedom and key real-financial aggregates in Tunisia, including GDP, money supply, interest rate, exchange rate, inflation, labor force, and the stock market index, using a quantile-based connectedness framework and quarterly data over the period 2010–2024. Unlike previous connectedness studies that mainly focus on macroeconomic and financial variables, this paper explicitly incorporates economic freedom as an institutional determinant within a quantile connectedness framework, thereby extending the literature on macro-financial interconnectedness in emerging economies. The empirical results reveal strong regime dependence, as the Total Connectedness Index (TCI) is substantially higher under extreme market conditions than at the median quantile. In bearish states (quantile = 0.05), economic freedom behaves primarily as a net receiver of spillovers from GDP, labor force, and interest rates, highlighting the reactive nature of institutional quality during periods of economic stress. By contrast, in bullish states (quantile = 0.95), economic freedom becomes a net transmitter of shocks, influencing money supply, inflation, and stock market dynamics, suggesting that institutional conditions amplify macro-financial interactions during expansionary phases. Under normal economic conditions (quantile = 0.50), connectedness remains moderate and relatively balanced, reflecting weaker systemic interdependence. From a theoretical perspective, the findings support the view that institutional quality is not neutral over the business cycle but evolves asymmetrically with macro-financial conditions. The study therefore contributes to the literature by demonstrating the procyclical and state-dependent role of economic freedom in shaping macro-financial spillovers in an emerging economy context. These findings also provide important policy implications for strengthening institutional resilience and macroeconomic stability in Tunisia. Full article

Street-level concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) pose serious public health risks in European cities, yet accurate multi-year prediction at traffic-dominated sites remains challenging. This study applies XGBoost (XGB) and Random Forest (RF) to predict hourly NO₂ and daily PM_2.5 at two street monitoring sites in Copenhagen, Denmark, trained on 17 years of observational data and evaluated on two independent years. Three-dimensional variational assimilation (3D-Var) and the Extended Kalman Filter (EKF) are then applied as post-processing corrections to the ML predictions using co-located observations. XGB achieved RMSE values of 9.5 and 7.4 µg/m³ for HCAB and JGTV NO₂, respectively, in the 2018 test year. Both DA methods improved substantially on the ML baseline, with 3D-Var reducing NO₂ RMSE by up to 57% and spike event RMSE by up to 51%. EKF achieved near-complete elimination of systematic bias across all configurations. The framework is computationally lightweight and can be applied to any deterministic model prediction at a monitoring station, including outputs from physics- and chemistry-based dispersion models. Overall, the findings show a practical way to improve street-level air quality prediction, with direct relevance for operational forecasting and public health protection. Full article

With the widespread integration of renewable energy, power flow in the system has become extremely complex and variable. This not only exacerbates the operational safety issues of distribution networks but also intensifies the three-phase unbalance situation. The traditional volt/var control (VVC) model is facing significant challenges such as high-dimensional nonlinearity and low efficiency. To address these problems, this paper proposes a volt/var control for three-phase unbalanced distribution network based on trust region safe reinforcement learning. Firstly, a model is constructed based on the three-phase linear power flow matrix. Then it is transformed into a Markov Decision Process (MDP) to overcome the computational burden. Secondly, a trust region construction method based on the Clip mechanism is introduced to ensure stable policy gradient updates and computational efficiency. Further, the Lagrange multiplier is introduced in the trust region optimization to convert the node voltage safety boundary into a cost function, establishing a distribution network safety reinforcement learning (SDRL) model, which limits the output of dangerous action. Finally, through case studies, it is verified that the proposed method can effectively mitigate three-phase unbalance, enhance online decision-making efficiency, and strictly guarantee the safe operation of distribution networks, demonstrating significant feasibility and superiority. Full article

This paper analyses the dynamics of connectedness among technology-oriented assets, such as fintech, blockchain, cybersecurity, internet, and disruptive technology indices, on the effect of political signal quality on the transmission of spillovers. Applying the Time-Varying Parameter Vector Autoregressive (TVP-VAR) model with frequency-based connectedness, the paper explores dynamic, horizon-dependent spillovers in the interconnection of innovation-based financial markets from January 2015 to April 2025. The findings show consistently high interconnectedness among 4IR assets, but this level increases significantly during the COVID-19 outbreak and the Russia–Ukraine conflict. It is also found that disruptive technology and fintech indices dominate shock transmission among interconnectedness networks. Based on the frequency decomposition approach, it is evident that spillovers arise from short-run dynamics, indicating that 4IR financial systems respond quickly to uncertainty shocks and to synchronized investor behavior. The regression and quantile regression analyses indicate a conditional effect of political signal quality on connectedness, especially during crisis periods marked by higher market uncertainty and stress. Specifically, it is evident that a deterioration in political signal quality increases spillover effects due to information uncertainty and expectation-based investor behavior. This means that, in an innovation-driven financial system, uncertainty is not just transmitted through macroeconomic and financial factors, but also through political communication and information uncertainty. In summary, this paper adds to the existing literature on connectedness by considering political information quality uncertainty in analyzing the 4IR financial system and by identifying how technological integration makes the financial market vulnerable during crises. Full article

Fragrant olive (Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus (O. fragrans)) extract is known to influence neurophysiological responses through inhalation, yet research on concentration-dependent effects and sex-specific variations remains insufficient. This study utilized an electronic nose (E-nose), electroencephalography (EEG), and standardized low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (sLORETA) to characterize the volatile profiles and neurophysiological impacts of O. fragrans at 3% and 5% concentrations. E-nose analysis identified 48 volatile compounds, with chemometric modeling (PCA, HCA) showing clear discrimination between concentrations. EEG results demonstrated that inhalation induced significant concentration-dependent changes—specifically increasing sedation-related alpha waves and decreasing tension-related gamma waves—with 5% O. fragrans eliciting more widespread cortical responses than the 3% concentration. Notably, no significant sex-related differences were observed in general EEG patterns; however, sLORETA revealed that 5% inhalation specifically suppressed high beta and gamma activities in male participants within Brodmann areas 13, 21, 22, and 44, regions associated with emotional and multisensory processing. In conclusion, this study successfully quantified the relationship between volatile profiles and human brain responses using an integrated biomimetic and neurophysiological approach. These findings provide objective evidence that O. fragrans inhalation, particularly at 5%, modulates neural oscillations toward a relaxed state, offering valuable data for olfactory perception and potential applications as functional volatile compounds. Full article