Search Results (7,588)

The Murmansk Region (the Russian Arctic) faces severe environmental degradation due to heavy metal (HM) pollution from copper–nickel smelting, resulting in vast industrial barrens with elevated concentrations of copper (Cu) and nickel (Ni). Conventional phytostabilization methods are often ineffective or costly, necessitating alternative bioremediation strategies. This study evaluates the potential of microalgae and cyanobacteria for revegetating HM-contaminated substrates. Six strains of Nostoc-like morphotypes and three green microalgae were tested for Cu²⁺ tolerance (0.5–15 mg/L). While most strains exhibited growth inhibition at ≥3 mg/L Cu²⁺, Atlanticothrix sp. KPABG-154445, isolated from Tolbachik Volcano, showed positive growth at 2 mg/L Cu²⁺ under the tested conditions and recovering metabolic activity post-exposure. In sorption experiments, non-viable biomass achieved 68% Cu²⁺ removal at 2 mg/L, outperforming actively growing cultures. A microcosm experiment using copper-spiked nepheline slime (simulating mining waste) revealed Atlanticothrix sp. KPABG-154445’s ability to colonize nutrient-poor substrates, forming biocrusts covering 42% of the surface within one month, even under Cu²⁺ contamination (10 mg/kg). These findings highlight cyanobacteria, particularly strains such as KPABG-154445, as promising agents for the bioremediation of Arctic industrial barrens, leveraging their dual capacity for heavy metal tolerance and biocrust formation. Full article

Distribution network partitioning at high distributed-energy-resource penetration is challenged by operating-point-insensitive distance criteria, initialization dependence, and oversized or oscillatory zones. This paper presents a framework that combines a comprehensive electrical distance metric with an improved density peak clustering–label propagation algorithm (DPC-LPA). The metric integrates network impedance and voltage sensitivities to renewable-power variations. DPC determines the initial number and centers of zones, and the modified LPA uses partition-scale, load-balance, and historical-influence factors to regulate zone growth and label switching. Tests on medium- and low-voltage alternating-current/direct-current (AC/DC) networks show improved load balance relative to conventional LPA with only a modest change in modularity. These results support the method for the evaluated networks without implying performance beyond the tested conditions. Full article

Precise measurement of large mirrors is essential for high-performance space-based optics. Traditionally, laser interferometry provides high accuracy but faces challenges related to the requirements of computer-generated holograms (CGHs) and the transformation of standard wavefronts to match complex test surfaces. This paper presents a proof-of-concept contact-based surface metrology method for large mirrors. To reduce drift errors caused by stylus instability or contact loss, a wavefront-based calibration method was developed to suppress measurement artifacts while preserving intrinsic surface errors. The method was tested on a concave aspherical mirror using a tactile coordinate measuring machine (CMM), and its accuracy was evaluated by comparing deviations between calibrated CMM error maps and laser-based measurements. Experimental results demonstrated that the XENO CMM achieved a global metric accuracy comparable to interferometric systems for relevant geometric parameters. These findings suggest that ultra-precision CMMs combined with focus point calibration can provide practical preliminary surface verification and serve as a flexible alternative to laser interferometry when global geometric accuracy is the primary concern. Future work will enhance robustness by addressing higher-order aberrations. Full article

Early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC) is a major determinant of patient prognosis, as survival strongly depends on disease stage at diagnosis. Despite advances in screening programs, a significant proportion of CRC cases are still diagnosed at advanced stages, underscoring the need for improved early detection strategies. Most sporadic CRCs arise through the adenoma–carcinoma sequence over 10 to 15 years, providing a window for the detection of premalignant lesions, such as advanced adenomas. Current screening approaches are based on colonoscopy or its combination with stool-based tests. Although colonoscopy is the gold standard, it is an invasive technique with high associated costs and limited patient compliance. Stool-based tests are non-invasive and more widely accepted but lack specificity and sufficient sensitivity for detecting premalignant lesions. In this context, liquid biopsies have emerged as a promising minimally invasive alternative for identifying tumor-derived biomarkers in biological fluids such as blood or stool. Small non-coding RNAs (sncRNAs), and particularly microRNAs (miRNAs), have gained considerable attention as non-invasive biomarkers for their highly stability, resistance to handling conditions, and reliable quantification even in low-input samples. Single miRNAs and miRNA signatures detected in biofluids and combined with clinical parameters have shown promise for CRC detection. However, their utility for detecting advanced adenomas remains insufficiently characterized. Further validation in large, independent cohorts and standardization of analytical methods are required before their clinical implementation. Despite these challenges, sncRNA-based liquid biopsies represent a promising approach for improving early detection of CRC and, consequently, its prognosis. Full article

Despite growing interest in sustainability transitions, there is the limited literature on how Industry 4.0, the circular economy, renewable energy, and ecological sustainability interact. This paper aimed to analyze the nexus among Industry 4.0, the circular economy, ecological footprint, renewable energy, and sustainable development across 14 European countries during 2001–2024 by using the PBARDL and Panel PQARDL approaches as well as the panel Granger causality test. To capture both average and distributional effects, the analysis employed Panel Bootstrap ARDL (PBARDL), Panel Quantile ARDL (PQARDL) and panel Granger causality tests. In the first stage, the PBARDL test was employed to determine the dependent variables. The existence of a single cointegrated vector was confirmed by a country-specific Johansen test and Panel Johansen test. Both the PQARDL methods, which has two and three quantiles, and the PBARDL method showed the evidence of cointegration among the selected variables. The long-run and short-run coefficients as well as the ECM coefficients of the PQARDL test were compared with those of the PBARDL test. Granger causality results were obtained. In the second stage, robustness testing was performed for the PQARDL model. The model was tested by excluding the control variable and the results of the model without control variables were compared with those of the main PQARDL model. Subsequently, alternative values of λ were applied to the model without control variables. The obtained results confirmed the baseline model’s results. Finally, to avoid the reverse causality problem, the results of the Granger causality test under different lag structures confirmed the stability of the estimated directions of Granger causality. Granger causality results revealed the evidence of one-way causality from the circular economy to renewable energy and from Industry 4.0 to the circular economy. Evidence of bidirectional causality was found between the CE and the ecological footprint; the ecological footprint and renewable energy; SDI and renewable energy; the CE and renewable energy; and I4.0 and renewable energy. According to the results, government policies need to focus more on renewable energy, energy transition, sustainable development, and the circular economy. Full article

Background/Objectives: Mpox (formerly monkeypox) is a re-emerging global health threat. While current vaccines are injectable, oral vaccination offers a painless alternative, though the harsh gastrointestinal (GI) environment challenges live viral vaccines. This study evaluated the stability of orthopoxviruses under simulated GI conditions to assess the physicochemical feasibility of oral mpox immunization. Methods: Attenuated and virulent strains of vaccinia, cowpox, and camelpox viruses were exposed to simulated gastric (pH 1.0–2.0 and 3.0–4.0 with pepsin) and intestinal (pH 7.0–7.5) conditions at 37 °C for 180 min. Viral titers were determined via cell culture assays. The physicochemical protective efficacy of enteric-coated capsules was evaluated using standard dissolution testing parameters. Results: All orthopoxviruses were rapidly inactivated under highly acidic fasting conditions (pH 1.0–2.0). However, they exhibited high stability at pH 3.0–4.0 and 7.0–7.5, retaining approximately 20–30% of their initial infectivity after 180 min. Enteric-coated capsules successfully maintained shell integrity in simulated gastric fluids for over 3 h and dissolved completely under intestinal conditions within ~130 min, aligning with small intestine transit times. Conclusions: Orthopoxviruses possess sufficient intestinal stability to support the physicochemical feasibility of oral immunization, provided they are protected from gastric acidity. Enteric-coated capsules represent a highly suitable delivery system for the intestinal release of live orthopoxvirus-based candidates, warranting further in vivo preclinical evaluation. Full article

Conventional solvent-based and hot-melt road marking paints face significant challenges regarding high volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions and limited durability, necessitating the development of eco-friendly, high-performance alternatives. In this study, a waterborne acrylic road marking paint was systematically formulated and optimized using an L₁₆(4⁵) orthogonal experimental design coupled with a comprehensive weighted scoring method integrating subjective and objective (entropy) weights. Four key formulation parameters (pigment-to-binder ratio, titanium dioxide content, ground calcium carbonate content, and coalescing agent dosage) were investigated, with abrasion resistance, hiding power, luminance factor, and stain resistance as evaluation criteria. The optimized formulation was identified through range analysis of comprehensive scores and subsequently subjected to rigorous performance characterization, including retroreflectivity optimization, Taber and accelerated abrasion testing, UV-accelerated weathering, skid resistance, and VOC emissions measurement using a self-designed sealed chamber system. Benchmark comparisons against commercial waterborne and hot-melt paints demonstrated that the developed formulation achieves superior abrasion resistance, exceptional weatherability, and meaningfully lower VOC emissions. Field application on an operational highway section in Liaoning Province, China, confirmed the practical constructability and performance reliability of the optimized paint under real-world construction conditions. This research provides both theoretical guidance and practical validation for the design of sustainable, durable, and highly visible road marking materials, contributing to the advancement of environmentally responsible transportation infrastructure. Full article

Cariprazine (CAR) and lurasidone (LUR) are antipsychotic drugs used to treat schizophrenia. These drugs are relatively new in clinical practice, and there is a need to optimise and develop analytical methods for their determination in various biological matrices for biomedical analysis. To date, the detection of these drugs has been performed in serum and urine, but there are no methods for determining these drugs in saliva. In the first part of this study, various chromatographic systems were compared using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) or coupled with quadrupole–linear ion trap tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS), taking into account the retention of tested compounds, system efficiency and peak symmetry. Next, a simple, rapid, and sensitive HPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS method has been developed for the determination of CAR and LUR in human serum, urine, and, for the first time, in saliva samples. Solid-phase extraction (SPE) was used for sample pre-treatment. Quantifications were carried out using a Polar RP column with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile and a formate buffer at pH 4.0 in gradient mode. The method was successfully applied for the determination of CAR and LUR in biological samples obtained from psychiatric patients. The findings suggest that saliva may be a non-invasive alternative for the quantification of free levels of investigated drugs, although further studies are required to clarify its relationship with plasma concentrations. Full article

Screening assays for discovering Candida albicans biofilm inhibitors typically measure either metabolic activity or attached biomass. Although biomass staining with Crystal Violet or Safranin is affordable and easy to perform, standard protocols often require toxic solvents for biofilm fixation and dye extraction. We developed and evaluated an alternative Safranin staining method that uses heat fixation and direct absorbance measurement of stained biofilms without a dye-extraction step. Under the experimental conditions tested, the proposed method reduced solvent use and plate handling and minimized reagent use while offering assay consistency and reliability for primary screening campaigns. The assay quality was verified using positive and negative inhibition controls, with acceptable Z′-factor values supporting its use for primary drug screening. The protocol was further evaluated by screening 1520 compounds from the Prestwick Chemical Library to identify inhibitors of C. albicans biofilm formation. The proposed Safranin method provides a simplified, extraction-free alternative for biofilm-inhibitor screening under the experimental conditions evaluated in this study. Full article

Background/Objectives: The green synthesis of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) using plant-derived flavonoids offers a sustainable alternative to traditional methods. This study aimed to synthesize, characterize, and evaluate the biological activities and cytogenotoxicity of AuNPs functionalized with naringin (NG) and its aglycone, naringenin (NGN). Methods: Synthesis was optimized by varying pH, HAuCl₄ concentration, reagent ratios, temperature, and stirring time. The resulting AuNPs-NG and AuNPs-NGN were characterized via Ultraviolet–Visible (UV–Vis) Spectroscopy, Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), and Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (STEM-EDX). Biological potential was assessed through five antioxidant assays, alpha-amylase and alpha-glucosidase inhibition, and antimicrobial screening. Cytogenotoxicity was evaluated using the Allium cepa root meristem model. Results: Optimal synthesis occurred at pH 10 for both flavonoids (NG at 40 °C, NGN at 20 °C). STEM revealed AuNPs-NG were smaller (54.64 ± 13.15 nm) and more polydisperse than AuNPs-NGN (135.52 ± 23.85 nm). Both nanoformulations exhibited superior antioxidant and antidiabetic activities compared to free precursors, with AuNPs-NGN showing the highest potency in inhibiting lipoxygenase (LOX) (EC₅₀ = 9.58 ± 0.74 µg/mL). No antimicrobial activity was detected. In the Allium cepa test, both AuNPs induced concentration-dependent reduction in the mitotic index and triggered predominantly aneugenic chromosomal abnormalities. Conclusions: NG and NGN successfully act as reducing and stabilizing agents for AuNPs, with NGN providing enhanced biological efficacy alongside larger particle sizes. While these biogenic AuNPs show significant therapeutic potential as antioxidant and antidiabetic agents, their concentration-dependent cytogenotoxicity must be carefully considered for biomedical applications. Full article

The Velocity-Aided Navigation (VAN) method for determining latitude, longitude, and altitude is proposed when global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals are unavailable. Currently, GNSS receivers are the primary navigation systems that meet consumer demand for location accuracy. However, GNSS receivers are not autonomous. Strapdown inertial navigation systems (SINSs), unlike GNSSs, are autonomous. Their operating principle is based on double integration of accelerometer output signals. However, they have a significant drawback: SINS errors increase significantly over time. Two approaches are used to improve accuracy. The first involves using expensive, high-precision gyroscopes and accelerometers. The other involves correcting the SINS by integrating it with navigation systems built on physical principles different from those of the SINS. An alternative method, based on VAN and an inertial measurement unit (IMU), for determining navigation parameters is proposed and does not require double integration of accelerometer output signals. Analytical expressions for the errors of the new method are derived. Calculations showed that the errors of the new method are significantly smaller than those of the autonomous SINS. Experimental testing confirmed the calculation results and demonstrated that the errors of the new method are comparable to those of the SINS integrated with GNSS using a Kalman filter. The proposed alternative VAN method for determining latitude, longitude, and altitude can be used independently, as an alternative to GNSS for integration with the SINS, and can also serve as a backup navigation system. Full article

After the 2021 military coup in Myanmar, many people sought safety, decent work, and social protection in neighboring Thailand. This study examines how legal documentation status and Sense of Place (SOP) are associated with the workplace retention intentions of irregular Myanmar migrant workers in Mae Sot, Thailand. SOP is conceptualized through three key dimensions: emotional bonds to the surrounding environment (place attachment), the extent to which the place meets everyday needs (place dependence), and the way migrants identify with their host context (place identity). To explore these dynamics, we adopted an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach, surveying 101 respondents between January and April 2024 and subsequently conducting in-depth interviews with 30 individuals between June and July 2024. Given the sensitivity of irregular migration and undocumented legal status, obtaining survey responses was challenging because many potential participants were concerned about privacy, identification, and possible legal exposure. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive comparisons, bivariate association tests with Goodman-calibrated minimum Bayes factors, LASSO-assisted variable screening, principal component analysis, and Bayesian mixed-effects ordinal probit models. The descriptive and bivariate results show that legal documentation status is positively associated with all SOP dimensions, job satisfaction, and willingness to remain in the current job. In the candidate model comparison, the Bayesian specification without legal status showed slightly better predictive performance than the corresponding specification with legal status. The primary five-category Bayesian mixed-effects model indicated positive conditional associations of Job Satisfaction, Place Attachment, and the structural workplace index with willingness to stay. It also indicated heterogeneity in the Place Attachment association across observed job tenure groups; this pattern is interpreted as a cross-sectional between-group difference rather than as evidence of individual change over time. Complementary Bayesian sensitivity analyses evaluate the multidimensional SOP construct, the incremental predictive contribution of legal status, sensitivity to alternative priors, and model diagnostics. The qualitative interviews further show that legal documentation is widely perceived as enabling broader employment opportunities, safer access to basic services, employer support, labor rights protection, and reduced exposure to exploitation. Overall, this study highlights the complementary roles of legal recognition, workplace satisfaction, and emotional rootedness in shaping migrant retention, offering implications for decent work, migrant well-being, reduced inequalities, and sustainable labor and migration policies in Thailand’s border regions, particularly in relation to SDG 8 and SDG 10. Full article

Quantifying the direction, strength and temporal clustering of cross-border financial risk contagion calls for methods that go beyond linear correlation. We suggest a two-layer framework that brings together transfer entropy and a multivariate Hawkes self-exciting point process on a time-varying, directed, weighted network. In the first layer, one-to-one transfer entropies of sovereign credit default swap spreads are estimated with a bias-corrected k nearest neighbour estimator, and this step detects nonlinear and directional information transfer between spreads. The second layer is a multivariate Hawkes process that models how extreme loss events arrive and mutually excite one another across countries, and it gives an excitation intensity matrix, encoding the way a tail event in one country raises the likelihood of an instantaneous hazard occurring in another. By merging these two layers, we obtain a composite, directed, weighted adjacency matrix in which the weights of the edges reflect both information flow and event clustering. We introduce a network-level contagion intensity index and split it into direct, indirect and feedback terms using the graph Laplacian spectrum. Von Neumann graph entropy together with the spectral gap ratio serve as entropy-based measures of the complexity and fragility of the evolving network. We validate the choice of Shannon-type entropy through a Tsallis q-sensitivity analysis, and we verify the nonlinear dependence structure of the data using BDS tests and maximal Lyapunov exponent estimates. Three empirical findings emerge from analysing 20 sovereign CDS markets from January 2015 to December 2025: (i) directional risk spillover signals derived based on transfer entropy are more timely than those derived from variance decomposition; (ii) the Hawkes excitation component amplifies measured contagion intensity by 35 to 58 percent during the COVID-19 shock and the 2022 European energy crisis relative to a transfer-entropy-only baseline; (iii) von Neumann graph entropy reaches historically extreme values 7 to 12 trading days before the peak drawdown in a Global Sovereign Bond Index. These results hold across rolling window lengths, significance thresholds, alternative entropy functionals and alternative Hawkes kernels. Full article

Background/Objectives: Modern acupuncture research commonly operationalizes acupoints as standardized sites for needling or electrical stimulation. Although this convention has improved reproducibility, it may obscure how classical acupoint and meridian systems have historically organized relationships among intervention sites, sensory phenomena, symptom patterns, and therapeutic responses. This article proposes an operational framework for examining selected acupoint regions as candidate neuromodulation interfaces. It reframes acupoint and meridian systems as relational body maps and operationalizes this perspective through a multidimensional stimulation–engagement–response model that distinguishes intervention features, target engagement, and downstream functional outcomes while accounting for individual context. Methods: The framework was developed to organize existing evidence, identify unresolved causal links, and generate prospective experimental tests, rather than to establish neural or physiological mechanisms that have already been demonstrated. The Baliao region, comprising bilateral BL31–BL34 over the posterior sacral foramina, was selected as the primary case because classical localization and pelvic symptom associations can be examined alongside sacral anatomy and neurophysiology within a single region. Relevant clinical and preclinical findings were evaluated in relation to potential neural targets, physiological engagement, functional outcomes, and alternative explanations. Results: Clinical and preclinical evidence suggests possible engagement of sacral afferent, spinal, autonomic, and pelvic-floor regulatory circuits. However, the evidence remains indirect, heterogeneous, and insufficient to establish equivalence with implantable sacral neuromodulation, a unique BL31–BL34 mechanism, or absolute point specificity. The framework clarifies what current evidence supports, identifies unresolved mechanistic links and alternative explanations, and proposes prospective strategies for testing target engagement and physiological relevance. Conclusions: This approach provides a staged research agenda for moving from descriptive associations toward prospective tests of parameter-dependent target engagement, physiological relevance, and, ultimately, biomarker-guided neuromodulation. Full article

Under the strategic goals of “peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality”, traditional methods for solving economic dispatch problems involving carbon emission trading costs, wind power, and energy storage devices lack real-time performance and are difficult to support in real-time decision-making. This paper proposes an accelerated solution framework that expands the projection gradient descent method into a Deep Projected Gradient Network (D-PGNet). The network consists of K structured layers, each layer strictly embedding differentiable projection operations corresponding to physical constraints such as power balance, unit ramp-up, and energy storage timing dynamics. This paper systematically derived the projection closed-form solutions of each constraint set to the basic subset, designed an efficient differentiable projection layer based on Dykstra alternating projection, and analyzed the differentiability and convergence properties of the network. Multiple scenario tests have shown that the optimal gap of D-PGNet results is less than 1.08%, the carbon emission deviation is less than 0.2%, the solving speed is improved by more than 64 times at most, and the maximum violation of all physical constraints is below 1.3 × 10⁻⁵ p.u. Full article