Search Results (1,132)

The European Union aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 55% by 2030 and reach climate neutrality by 2050, targets that depend on expanding renewable generation in the European energy system. While photovoltaic (PV) capacity has grown quickly in several member states, others remain far behind. This paper frames that divergence as a systems planning problem: installed MW expands through diffusion-like dynamics, but the conversion of investment into energizable capacity is filtered by grid-integration constraints and institutional throughput. The study develops a macro-level framework for systems-level assessment and decision support to guide PV capacity planning and budget allocation using official 2012–2022 data for 22 EU countries. We combine (i) unsupervised clustering of standardized national deployment trajectories, (ii) bounded logistic fits interpreted as an operational diffusion-with-saturation representation that yield comparable growth parameters and maturity years (80–90% of the estimated ceiling), and (iii) a proportional reallocation scenario for countries below 5 GW in 2022. Three clusters emerge—steady growth, early plateau, and atypical paths—and an analytically tractable maturity indicator integrates capacity, rate, and timing in a single measure. In a 10 GW reallocation scenario, average progress toward the 5 GW benchmark rises from 9.8% to 23.1%, closing about 14.8% of the aggregate shortfall. The allocation experiment reveals a clear asymmetry: systems with an existing installed base convert additional MW into benchmark progress more efficiently than very low-baseline systems, where binding constraints are more likely to sit in permitting, interconnection queues, and hosting capacity rather than in finance alone. Turning these allocations into usable capacity depends on timely interconnection and power-electronics integration and on grid-enablement constraints such as interconnection readiness, inverter compliance, and local hosting capacity in high-penetration areas. The contribution is a transparent, updateable decision-support pipeline that links observed trajectory regimes to a maturity “clock” and an auditable allocation baseline, making the trade-off between closing capacity gaps and respecting feasibility filters explicit in an EU system with heterogeneous national subsystems. The proposed approach links macro-level maturity clusters to operational feasibility signals in the grid integration layer, showing that modeling-based allocation can improve system progress but cannot substitute grid-enablement measures, highlighting the importance of regional coordination in the EU energy system under heterogeneous national trajectories. Full article

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a member of the genus Orthopneumovirus, is an etiological agent in infant lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs) producing substantial global morbidity. Here, secretoglobin (Scgb1a1)-derived progenitors play a primary role in triggering innate, inflammatory, and cell state transitions in response to RSV LRTIs. Whether RSV activation of innate signaling in this epithelial sentinel population leads to chronic airway disease is unknown. To understand the role of innate signaling in Scgb1a1-derived progenitors, a model of RSV post-viral disease (PVLD) was developed and studied in the presence or absence of RelA conditional knockout (CKO). Single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) studies showed that RSV-PVLD induced a transition of atypical, differentiation-intermediate, alveolar type 2 (aAT2) cells characterized by tumor protein 63 (TRP63), aquaporin 3 (AQP3), and Itgβ4 expression, as well as changes in PDGFRβ mesenchyme. A single-cell trajectory analysis and lineage-tracing experiments using Scgb1a1 CreER^TM X mTmG mice demonstrated that the Scgb1a1+ populations were precursors to the aAT2 population. Mechanistically, we found that the formation of the aAT2 population was prevented by RelA CKO. A differential gene expression analysis revealed that RSV-PVLD coordinately upregulates nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group D (Nr1d1/2), clock and basic helix-loop-helix ARNT-like 1 (Bmal) genes both in the aAT2 cell and in its Pdgfrα+ mesenchymal niche in a RelA-dependent manner. A systematic analysis of intercellular epithelial–mesenchymal communication in the scRNA-seq data showed that the clock-dysregulated epithelial–mesenchymal niche produces aberrant ANGPTL4 expression. ANGPTL4 upregulation was confirmed by the measurement of both its mRNA and protein. Moreover, ANGPTL4 is biologically active in the BALF of RSV-PVLD mice, inhibiting lipoprotein lipase activity. We conclude that RSV-PVLD is mediated, at least in part, by RelA signaling in Scgb1a1-derived epithelial progenitors, dysregulating ANGPTL4 signaling in an epithelial–mesenchymal niche, resulting in persistence of atypical alveolar epithelial cells with dysregulated of clock gene expression. Full article

The soybean pod borer, Leguminivora glycinivorella, is a monophagous pest that threatens soybean production. Its larvae feed concealed within pods, which limits the efficacy of conventional insecticides. Elucidating its chemosensory system is therefore essential for developing green, behavior-based management strategies. Reference-based transcriptomics across multiple tissues of L. glycinivorella identified a comprehensive repertoire of chemosensory genes, including 76 odorant receptors (ORs), 15 gustatory receptors (GRs), 18 ionotropic receptors (IRs), 52 odorant-binding proteins (OBPs), 18 chemosensory proteins (CSPs), and 4 sensory neuron membrane proteins (SNMPs). Sequence and phylogenetic analyses characterized these candidates within the context of known insect chemosensory families. Notably, canonical bitter GRs and specific IR lineages (e.g., IR100/IR85a) were not detected in our dataset, potentially reflecting adaptation to the specialized soybean-feeding habit of this pest. Expression profiling further revealed pronounced sexual and tissue dimorphism: male antennae showed significant enrichment of putative pheromone receptors (PRs) and LglySNMP1, whereas several OBPs and ORs exhibited female-biased expression, suggesting roles in host location and oviposition. Additionally, the high expression of GR43a homologs points to fructose sensing, while the lack of detectable CO₂ receptor components (except LglyGR2) suggests atypical carbon dioxide perception mechanisms. Collectively, this study provides a valuable expression atlas of chemosensory genes in L. glycinivorella and identifies sex-specific candidate genes for future functional validation and behavior-based pest management. Full article

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal recessive disorder caused by pathogenic variants in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene and primarily affects the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems. Globally, CF is most prevalent among European ancestry, with an incidence rate of approximately 1/2500 to 1/3500. In China, the incidence is about 1/128,000. However, CF is not extremely rare in the Chinese population; rather, its prevalence is significantly underestimated. The CFTR mutation spectrum in China is highly unique, characterized by an extremely low frequency of p.Phe508del. Instead, region-specific mutations such as p.Gly970Asp, p.Ile1023Arg, and p.Arg553Ter predominate, alongside a high proportion of splicing variants and complex rearrangements. A significant proportion of Chinese CF patients primarily present with CF-like phenotypes within the CF-related disease spectrum (such as congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens and pseudo-Bartter syndrome), exhibiting overlapping features with classic CF but lacking typical respiratory-dominant symptoms. This review examines how these atypical symptoms deviate from the diagnostic pathways established in Western countries. Establishing localised data and functional platforms is a prerequisite for achieving precision medicine. Achieving a transition from symptom-focused care to defect-correcting therapy will require coordinated multicenter collaboration and sustained infrastructure development. Full article

Background: Granular cell tumors (GCTs) are rare neoplasms that may also involve the musculoskeletal system and peripheral nerves of the extremities. In these locations, their clinical presentation, management, and outcomes remain poorly characterized. Methods: A systematic review was conducted according to PRISMA guidelines. PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Scopus were searched for articles published between 1975 and 2025 reporting GCTs arising from the musculoskeletal system or peripheral nerves, with available data on clinical presentation and treatment. Tumor location and size, symptoms, treatment modality, and oncological outcomes (recurrence or metastasis) at the latest follow-up were extracted. Results: Forty articles describing 67 cases were included (50 females, 17 males). Tumors showed benign (47) or atypical (2) behavior in 49 cases and malignant features in 18 cases. The mean largest tumor diameter was 44 mm, and malignant lesions were significantly larger than benign ones. Thirty-one lesions were located in the lower limbs, 25 in the upper limbs, and 11 had central musculoskeletal localizations. Swelling was the most common presenting symptom (92%), followed by pain (40%). Surgical excision was performed in all patients except one, who underwent primary amputation. Adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy was sporadically used in malignant cases (two cases each). Among the malignant cases with reported oncological follow-up, 44% developed distant metastases, and one (5.6%) also experienced local recurrence. Only one benign GCT recurred (2%), whereas all other non-malignant lesions remained CDF (98%). Conclusions: Although rare, GCTs should be considered in the differential diagnosis of musculoskeletal soft-tissue tumors, given their potential for malignant behavior and metastatic spread. Full article

Three-dimensional printing (3DP) has gained increasing attention in construction as a means of addressing labor shortages and improving efficiency. Various studies have investigated fiber-reinforced mortars for 3DP. However, only a few studies have examined mixture design strategies aimed at controlling early structural build-up, and the relationships between early structural build-up, printability, and interlayer stability remain largely unexplored. This study aimed to establish a practical method for evaluating the static yield stress and early buildability of 3DP mortars under construction-site conditions. Vane shear and 15-stroke flow tests were conducted to assess the static and dynamic behavior of mortars incorporating polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers, and their compressive and flexural strengths were also evaluated. According to the results, the vane shear test sensitively captured the rheological changes associated with variations in fiber content and superplasticizer dosage. The addition of PVA fibers increased the maximum shear stress of the mortar, resulting in atypical static yield stress development compared to fiber-free mortars. While the 15-stroke flow test further elucidated flowability, the vane shear test revealed a stronger correlation between mechanical properties and overall buildability. Thus, vane shear testing can be reliably used to assess early-age structural build-up and interlayer stability in 3DP mortars for optimizing print performance. Full article

Difficulties in social communication are a core characteristic of autism. Gesture use in children with autism is often delayed or atypical, with reduced frequency, diversity, and spontaneity. Pointing gestures, which typically emerge between 9 and 12 months of age, have been shown repeatedly to predict later language acquisition in both neurotypically developing children and those with autism. Thus, the deficits in proximal and distal pointing gestures observed in children with autism may impede social communication and language learning. Employing a nonconcurrent multiple baseline across participants design, this study examined the efficacy of prompting and reinforcement for teaching proximal pointing to request in 12 children with autism, aged 3 to 11 years. Results showed that 9 of the participants acquired proximal pointing and subsequently emitted distal pointing at distances of 0.61 m, 1.22 m, and 1.83 m (2, 4, and 6 feet) without additional intervention. Proximal and distal pointing was maintained at 4-week follow-up. However, not all participants acquired proximal pointing, highlighting potential variability related to individual characteristics and the need for modified procedures. These findings provide support for the use of prompting and reinforcement to teach socially communicative gestures in children with autism. Full article

The brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål), is an invasive pest that increasingly threatens apple production in Europe by causing fruit damage, yield losses, and quality deterioration under commercial orchard conditions. This study investigated seasonal population dynamics, spatial patterns of fruit damage, yield effects, and post-harvest fruit responses of two apple cultivars (‘Cripps Pink’ and ‘Fuji’) in a commercial orchard over two consecutive seasons (2024–2025). Adult and nymphal activity was monitored using pheromone traps, while fruit damage was assessed at harvest across orchard positions and canopy layers. Potential yield losses were estimated based on damage incidence, and selected physicochemical properties of healthy and affected fruits were analysed. Clear cultivar-dependent differences were observed. ‘Fuji’ exhibited typical external feeding damage, with low but consistent damage levels and limited yield losses in both seasons. In contrast, ‘Cripps Pink’ showed substantially higher damage rates and potential yield losses, particularly in 2025; however, classical external feeding damage was not observed. Instead, fruits exposed to H. halys pressure expressed atypical responses, primarily as increased individual fruit mass and size, and atypical skin color patterns, including pronounced striping and uneven pigmentation. Damage in ‘Cripps Pink’ was strongly structured within the orchard, with higher incidence in the upper and middle canopy layers and in areas adjacent to the forest edge, whereas damage in ‘Fuji’ remained low and spatially uniform. Overall, the results demonstrate that the impact of H. halys depends not only on pest pressure but also on cultivar traits and within-orchard spatial heterogeneity. These findings support the development of cultivar-specific and spatially targeted integrated pest management (IPM) strategies that better reflect the uneven distribution and expression of stink bug injury in commercial apple orchards. Full article

COVID-19 mRNA vaccines activate type I interferon pathways and in genetically or immunologically predisposed individuals may trigger autoimmune responses, including autoantibodies against melanoma differentiation-associated protein 5 (MDA5). Although cases of dermatomyositis (DM), particularly anti-MDA5-positive DM, have been increasingly reported after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, its clinical spectrum and management remain incompletely defined. We conducted a narrative review of the literature on post-vaccination dermatomyositis, focusing on clinical features, autoantibody profiles, therapeutic approaches, and outcomes. The review was enriched by the inclusion of a new case: a 60-year-old woman who developed anti-MDA5-positive dermatomyositis two weeks after receiving her fourth dose of the BNT162b2 (Pfizer/BioNTech) vaccine. She presented predominantly with cutaneous and articular manifestations in the absence of interstitial lung disease. Treatment with oral prednisone, intravenous alprostadil, and the Janus kinase inhibitor tofacitinib resulted in marked clinical improvement. This case, together with the literature review, illustrates both typical and atypical presentations of vaccine-associated anti-MDA5 DM, highlights diagnostic challenges without lung involvement, and suggests JAK inhibition as a potential therapeutic option, contributing to a more comprehensive understanding of post-vaccination dermatomyositis. Full article

Induction motors constitute a major share of industrial drives, making reliable fault detection essential for maintaining operational continuity. This work develops a Bayesian classifier for identifying rotor-bar damage using start-up current measurements represented in the frequency domain. The spectra are modelled as smooth functional curves using a hierarchical B-spline formulation, and posterior sampling provides a generative mechanism for augmenting scarce labelled data. Classification is performed using a Bayesian Gaussian mixture model, where each prediction is obtained by averaging over thousands of posterior samples, yielding stable and interpretable probability estimates. In experimental evaluation, the proposed approach achieves consistent separation between healthy and faulty motors across repeated training runs, correctly identifying all test cases in the binary classification setting and exhibiting more stable probability estimates than logistic and soft-max regression under limited labelled data. The model additionally signals atypical responses for unmodelled faults, indicating potential for anomaly detection. These findings highlight the suitability of Bayesian functional modelling as a reliable tool for induction motor condition monitoring. Full article

Coronary artery spasm (CAS) is a common endotype in patients with angina with non-obstructive coronary arteries. Pathophysiologically, the presence of CAS among arteries is not normal, as evidenced by several interacting mechanisms involving CAS development, including the endothelium, vascular smooth muscle cells, adventitia, autonomic nervous system, local inflammation, and systemic inflammation. Clinically, CAS is a dynamic process with a threshold effect on presentation; it can present as silent ischemia, atypical chest pain, resting angina, chronic coronary syndrome, acute coronary syndrome, variant angina, and even sudden cardiac arrest. Incomplete intracoronary provocation testing to exclude CAS as the etiology of chronic or acute coronary syndrome leads to an incorrect diagnosis and, subsequently, inappropriate treatment. Identification of the correct endotypes of chronic and acute coronary syndromes is critical for the selection of appropriate therapy, which thus affects disease outcome. Therefore, it is essential to complete intracoronary provocation testing for both the right and left coronary arteries to reach a correct diagnosis regarding CAS, including epicardial vasospasm and microvascular spasm. If CAS is found not to be the cause of myocardial ischemia, then a microvascular functional assessment is the next step to identify the etiology of the ischemic event. A comprehensive assessment of CAS is essential before appropriate treatments can be started. Full article

Background: Tracheal rupture is a rare, life-threatening condition that may follow blunt trauma, intubation, and, less commonly, esophageal instrumentation. The diagnosis may be challenging due to the subtle, delayed, and wide variety of symptoms. We present a unique case of delayed tracheal rupture secondary to iatrogenic esophageal perforation, presenting months later with a cervical neck insufflation on Valsalva, a novel clinical sign that has not been previously described in the literature. Case Presentation: A 44-year-old male initially presented with esophageal food impactation. Following endoscopic removal attempts, he developed signs consistent with esophageal perforation and was managed conservatively. In follow-up, he reported persistent neck discomfort, facial numbness, and the ability to insufflate the right side of his neck while doing a Valsalva. Flexible bronchoscopy and retrospective review of imaging revealed a proximal posterior tracheal defect, initially misinterpreted as a tracheal diverticulum. Surgical exploration confirmed a 6 cm dehiscence between the membranous trachea and the anterior wall of the esophagus. The defect was repaired using regional muscle flaps with tissue sealant reinforcement. Postoperatively, the patient had complete symptom resolution and no recurrence of neck insufflation. Conclusions: The case underscores the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for tracheal injury in patients with persistent or atypical symptoms following esophageal perforation or instrumentation. To our knowledge, we have described a novel clinical finding of neck insufflation upon Valsalva for diagnosing tracheal rupture. Full article

Endometrial cancer (EC) is one of the most prevalent gynecological malignancies worldwide. Atypical endometrial hyperplasia (AEH) is a premalignant condition with a substantial risk of progression to EC, with the endometrioid subtype (EEC) being the most common. In this study, we investigated the escape-from-senescence concept as a model for the malignant progression from AEH to EEC by bioinformatic analysis of single-cell RNA sequencing data. Unciliated epithelial cells from AEH and EEC tissues exhibited significantly higher levels of senescence compared with those from normal endometrium. Both the proportion of senescent cells (SCs) and their senescence scores remained comparable between hyperplasia and cancer. Despite pronounced genomic instability, SCs in EEC showed no evidence of cell cycle re-entry. RNA velocity analysis revealed no transcriptional trajectories indicating a transition from senescent to non-senescent states in the EEC group. While SCs in AEH and EEC shared similar senescence-associated transcriptional profiles, they demonstrated differences in immunomodulatory activities with enhanced immunosuppressive signaling in the EEC group compared to AEH. Thus, we found no evidence supporting the occurrence of large-scale senescence escape and subsequent malignant conversion of epithelial SCs during EC development. Instead, senescence appears to represent a generalized stress response that persists throughout both premalignant and malignant stages. Full article

Mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is typically associated with transient cognitive disturbance, particularly involving attention and new learning, with most patients demonstrating full recovery within weeks. Memory impairment in uncomplicated mTBI generally reflects reversible neurometabolic dysfunction and is limited to a brief period of post-traumatic amnesia and restricted retrograde loss surrounding the injury. However, a subset of patients develop persistent and disproportionate autobiographical memory disturbance that exceeds expected neuroanatomical limits and lacks structural correlates on neuroimaging. In rare but clinically challenging cases, this presentation may resemble extensive retrograde or identity-related amnesia. This review examines functional (dissociative) amnesia emerging after mTBI and proposes that concussion may act as a gateway condition facilitating the development of Functional Cognitive Disorder (FCD) in vulnerable individuals. We differentiate expected post-traumatic memory patterns from atypical selective impairment of autobiographical retrieval and clarify how distinct memory systems—episodic, autobiographical, semantic, and procedural—are differentially affected. We expand the two-hit hypothesis by integrating contemporary neurobiological evidence. The first hit comprises concussion-induced neurometabolic disturbance, glial activation, oxidative imbalance, and transient fronto-limbic dysregulation. The second hit may involve psychological stress, identity threat, maladaptive metacognitive processes, or persistent neuroinflammatory signalling, collectively resulting in functional inhibition of autobiographical memory retrieval despite preserved memory storage. Functional amnesia is conceptualised as a severe phenotype within the spectrum of functional cognitive disorder. We introduce a structured clinician-administered interview (SIFRA) to operationalise diagnostic features and support systematic assessment. This integrative framework reconciles neurological vulnerability with functional network dysregulation and provides a coherent basis for diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of persistent memory disturbance after mTBI. Full article

In Articulation Morphology, inspired by the theory of anaphytes that was first proposed in 1843, ramification is the key principle in plant morphology in the open growth of plants. It engenders articulation: the formation of articles, called anaphytes. While the theory of anaphytes included tenets that are now considered outdated, Articulation Morphology—proposed here as a modern version of this theory—retains and further develops only those aspects that remain valid and fundamentally important, namely ramification and articulation. In this view, plants are articulated wholes: systems of articles formed through ramification and articulation: the formation of articles. These articles are understood dynamically as process combinations according to process morphology. For practical purposes, they may be described in traditional structural terms such as root, stem, leaf, or leaflet, but without implying a controversial and limited morphological theory such as the classical root–stem–leaf theory of mainstream morphology. Hence, articulation morphology is strictly empirical, solely relying on the observable processes of open growth, ramification and articulation. In contrast to classical mainstream morphology, which often fails to accommodate atypical or deviant structures, articulation morphology is all-inclusive: even the most deviant structures can be understood as deviant patterns of ramification and articulation. Furthermore, articulation morphology is unifying because articles constitute a fundamental morphological unit that applies to all plants from algae to bryophytes and vascular plants, whereas organ-centred classical mainstream morphology lacks such a fundamental unifying unit for all plants. Within this framework, the central concept of articulation morphology is no longer homology but transformation—the transformation of ramification and articulation. Owing to this fundamental shift and to its empirical, dynamic, all-inclusive, and unifying foundation, articulation morphology may be regarded as a new paradigm for plant morphology—an open morphology. From this perspective, plant evo-devo, especially plant morpho evo-devo, becomes the investigation of the development and evolution of ramification and articulation. Full article