Search Results (771)

Global dependence on fossil fuels generates severe environmental and socioeconomic impacts, driving the urgent search for sustainable energy alternatives. In response to this global challenge, this research conducts a bibliometric analysis of hydrogen production via biohybrid systems, using publications indexed in Scopus from 2005 to 2025 and analyzed with VOSviewer. The results revealed a significant increase in research output since 2015, driven primarily by interdisciplinary developments in biotechnology, nanotechnology, and bioelectrochemistry, as well as by international sustainability policies. Four main research approaches were identified: bio-assisted photocatalysis, bio-electrochemical systems, dark fermentation, and enhanced artificial photosynthesis with nanomaterials. Despite the progress achieved, significant limitations remain in energy efficiency, operational costs, and the oxygen sensitivity of key enzymes. The study emphasizes that interdisciplinary collaboration is crucial to overcoming these barriers, highlighting priority areas for future research to strengthen the potential of biohybrid hydrogen as a viable and sustainable solution in the global energy transition. Full article

The role of international financial resource inflows, foreign direct investment (FDI), development foreign assistance (DFA), and personal remittance earnings (PRE) in decisive advancement toward environmental sustainability (SDG13) and economic development is increasingly recognized. However, depending on the situation, their effects on environmental outcomes vary in degree and direction, and are still subject to debate. This research examines how the three main international financial resources impact environmental sustainability, which is measured by the bio-capacity index, with a specific focus on the moderating role of corruption. The system panel generalized method of moments with balanced panel data (2001–2023) was used to attain the objectives of this study. This study focused on 28 developing Organization of Islamic Cooperation member countries because of their significant reliance on these financial inflows, regional/economic variety, and diverse levels of governance, which offer a crucial setting for evaluating the corruption moderation hypothesis. The findings reveal a comprehensive scenario of SDG synergies and trade-offs. In the base model, FDI directly improves the situation, whereas DFA and PRE are initially negligible. When considering internal economic factors, FDI and PRE greatly advance sustainability, whereas domestic financial measures such as domestic credit and fixed capital formation show adverse effects, underscoring a tension between environmental objectives and national financial systems. Importantly, the moderation analysis shows that while the advantages of FDI and PRE continue to be robust, corruption severely reduces the efficacy of DFA. To assure environmental effectiveness, these findings call for distinct policies that encourage green FDI, leverage remittances for green investments at the family level, and above all, fasten development assistance to strict governance changes. Full article

With its millennia-long agricultural history, Olive (Olea europaea L.) is one of the most strategic crops of the Mediterranean basin and a key component of the Turkish economy. This study assessed the effects of climate change on the potential distribution of olive in Türkiye using machine learning-based species distribution models (SDMs). Analyses were conducted using the 1970–2000 reference period and future projections for 2041–2060 and 2081–2100 under the SSP2-–4.5 and SSP5–8.5 scenarios, incorporating bioclimatic variables as well as topographic factors such as elevation, slope, and aspect. The model showed strong predictive performance (AUC = 0.93; TSS = 0.77) and identified elevation, winter precipitation (Bio19), and mean temperature of driest quarter (Bio9) as the primary variables influencing the distribution of olive trees. Model results predict a significant shift in suitable areas for olive cultivation, both northward—from the traditional Aegean and Mediterranean coastal belt toward the Marmara and Black Sea regions—and upward in elevation into higher-altitude inland areas. High-suitability areas, which accounted for 4.4% of Türkiye’s land area during the reference period, are projected to decline to 0.2% by the end of the century under the SSP5–8.5 scenario. UNEP Aridity Index analyses indicate increasing aridity pressure on olive habitats. While 87.2% of suitable habitats were classified as sub-humid in the reference period, projections for 2081–2100 under SSP5–8.5 suggest that 40.1% of these areas will shift to dry sub-humid and 26.4% to semi-arid conditions. Full article

Across ten months of monitoring (1 October 2024–1 July 2025) at three drilled irrigation wells in the La Yarada Los Palos coastal aquifer, this study evaluates boron phytotoxicity risk and its interaction with salinity and sodicity in a hyper-arid coastal agroecosystem. Groundwater samples (n = 10 per well; n = 30) were analyzed for boron, major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺) and EC. Salinity–sodicity indices (EC-based classes, SAR, Kelly Index, %Na, Mg/Ca ratio) were computed, and relationships among boron, cations, and EC/TDS were examined using correlation analysis and principal components. Boron concentrations ranged from 1.18 to 2.47 mg/L; all samples exceeded the FAO guideline for sensitive crops (0.7 mg/L), and 56.7% were ≥1.5 mg/L. Southern Border exhibited the highest boron (mean ≈ 2.10 mg/L), Ashlands intermediate (≈1.65 mg/L), and Bio Garden Los Palos the lowest (≈1.35 mg/L). EC remained ≈1–1.5 dS/m at Southern Border and Bio Garden Los Palos but reached ≈3–4 dS/m at Ashlands; all SAR values were <9, indicating low sodicity risk. Spearman correlations revealed weak associations between boron and EC/TDS, but moderate positive correlations with Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺, highlighting partly decoupled controls on boron and salinity. For tolerant crops such as olive and orange, and more sensitive ones such as oregano and quinoa, these conditions imply risks that require combined management of salinity, boron, and cation balance. A risk-based monitoring scheme centered on EC, SAR, boron, and Ca–Mg–Na ratios is proposed to support irrigation decisions in La Yarada Los Palos and similar hyper-arid coastal agroecosystems. Full article

Transparent wood (TW) is a type of bio-based optical composite that combines wood’s hierarchical microstructure with polymers’ tailored optical properties to achieve high transmittance and controlled light scattering. TW is developed by removing lignin or modifying lignin chromophores and infiltrating a polymer whose refractive index closely matches that of the delignified wood framework. This review critically examines the parameters governing transparency in millimeter-thick TW, including the influence of wood species, delignification and bleaching strategies, and polymer selection for infiltration and polymerization/curing. The discussion emphasizes the interplay between microstructural anisotropy, refractive index matching, and processing-induced defects, which collectively determine light transmittance and haze. The review summarizes current progress toward achieving glass-like transparency in the millimeter range, highlighting the advances and remaining challenges in optimizing TW for scalable structural and functional applications. Full article

Background: The early and accurate identification of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is complicated by a number of factors, such as the diversity of imaging modalities, variability in scanners across multiple sites, and the long-term progression of neurodegeneration. Such modest gains and the range of diagnostic scenarios suggest that robust multimodal applications, which incorporate both structural, molecular, and longitudinal measurements, are required if realistic benefits are to be seen in actual clinical settings. Methods: We introduce a multimodal self-supervised learning (SSL) approach, which learns feature representations of MRI and PET jointly using the cross-modal alignment, longitudinal temporal consistency, and domain-invariant embedding optimization. The approach integrates contrastive learning, scanner harmonization strategies, and missing modality-aware fusion for handling real-world cohort diversity. Six widely used datasets were evaluated, which are made publicly available: ADNI, OASIS-3, AIBL, BioFINDER, TADPOLE, and MIRIAD. Results: The model performed in a state-of-the-art way on all benchmark tasks. On ADNI, it obtained a BACC of 93.0% and an AUC of 0.96 for the binary classification task (AD vs. CN), surpassing recent baselines such as DiaMond’25, SMoCo, and AnatCL with statistically significant performance gain. Strong cross-cohort generalizability was reported (78.0% BACC on OASIS-3 and 77.5% BACC on AIBL). For TADPOLE, for longitudinal prognosis (i.e., MCI → AD conversion), the model yielded an AUC of 0.85 and a C-index of 0.82, which shows better ascendency over previous SSL-based methods. High test–retest consistency was observed on MIRIAD (ICC = 0.91), indicating that instability in volume measurement due to atrophy progression was minimal. Conclusions: The proposed multimodal SSL framework offers effective transferable and domain-robust biomarkers for the early diagnosis of AD and prediction of MCI-to-AD progression. It has strong cross-dataset generalization. Full article

Accurate estimation of population size and identification of key habitat factors are fundamental for the conservation of endangered species. This study demonstrates the application of advanced methods for estimating wildlife abundance and evaluating habitat associations for the endangered Sichuan sika deer (Cervus nippon sichuanicus) in the Gansu Taohe National Nature Reserve. We deployed a systematic camera trap network across the reserve and estimated population size by integrating camera trap data with a movement simulation method, while employing a Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to analyze the effects of various environmental variables on habitat utilization. Our survey estimated a population of approximately 429 individuals (95% CI: 390–446), corresponding to a density of 0.15 individuals/km². Habitat suitability modeling revealed that precipitation of the driest month (bio14; 44.5% contribution) and vegetation cover (NDVI; 39.1% contribution) were the predominant factors governing habitat suitability, collectively accounting for over 80% of the model’s prediction, whereas anthropogenic factors like the Human Footprint Index showed negligible independent importance. This study provides the first baseline population estimate for this endangered ungulate in the Taohe Reserve. The current low population density suggests substantial potential for recovery, indicating that future conservation strategies should safeguard key water sources and enhance habitat quality and connectivity. Full article

Asphalt binders that perform exceptionally well in resisting both rutting and cracking are highly desirable for withstanding the combined effects of extreme low temperatures and heavy vehicle loads. This work highlights the benefits of softening oils on the cracking performance of styrene–butadiene–styrene-modified asphalt (SBSMA). Additionally, the inherent correlations between cracking-performance parameters of binders and mixtures were thoroughly analyzed. A bio-based oil (bio-oil) and a petroleum-based oil (re-refined engine oil bottom, REOB) were selected as the softening oils. The benefit provided by softening oils was evaluated using various rheological indices, while the adverse effects of oxidative aging on cracking resistance were also considered. The cracking properties at intermediate temperatures were characterized by the modified Glover–Rowe (M G–R) parameter, δ_{8967 kPa}, and fatigue life (N_f). The low-temperature cracking properties of binders were evaluated by stiffness and m-value. The indirect tensile asphalt cracking (IDEAL-CT) test was conducted utilizing the CT-index and post-peak slope to estimate the fracture properties of the mixtures. The oxidative aging of binder and mixture samples was simulated and carried out based on lab aging methods; meanwhile, the carbonyl index obtained from the Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) scanning was used to track and evaluate the aging level of binders. The results show that the cracking performance could be greatly improved by the application of softening oils. Meanwhile, the bio-oils were found to operate with much higher efficiency than REOB, since the oil modification index (OMI) result showed that bio-oils exhibited four to six times the efficiency of REOB, in terms of improving the stress relaxation property. The correlations proved that the cracking-related parameters shared an inherent relationship with R² above 0.85, while these parameters consistently declined as the binder aged. The cracking performance of the mixtures at intermediate temperatures was mainly governed by the fatigue life of the binder, whereas thermal cracking performance was highly associated with the binder’s relaxation property. Full article

Background/Objectives: Protein-calorie malnutrition (PCM) is common among patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). However, the relationship between PCM and the gut microbiota in patients with IBD remains unclear. This study aimed to investigate the association between PCM and the colonic mucosal microbiota in patients with IBD. Methods: Colonic mucosal samples were obtained from 24 IBD patients with PCM and 24 IBD type-matched patients without PCM. PCM was defined as a body mass index (BMI) < 18.5 kg/m² and/or weight loss of ≥10% within the preceding 6 months. The full-length bacterial 16S ribosomal RNA gene (V1–V9) was sequenced using the PacBio Sequel IIe. Alpha and beta diversity and species-level differential abundance were analyzed, adjusting for age, sex, BMI, and disease type. Results: Among 48 patients (36 Crohn’s disease and 12 ulcerative colitis), diversity indices (Chao1, p = 0.474; Shannon, p = 0.931) and overall composition (Bray–Curtis, p = 0.719) did not differ by PCM status, although microbial composition was associated with age (p = 0.011) and biopsy-site inflammation (p = 0.001). PCM was associated with 12 differentially abundant taxa, including enrichment of Intestinibacter bartlettii and depletion of Bifidobacterium longum, Sphingomonas leidyi, and Clostridium innocuum, along with changes in several previously unclassified species. Conclusions: IBD patients with PCM exhibited shifts in the colonic mucosal microbiota including reduction in Bifidobacterium longum, a well-known probiotic. Further investigations into the role of the microbiota in PCM in IBD patients and the potential beneficial effects of probiotics are warranted. Full article

As a key medium in industry, lubricating oil plays a significant role in reducing friction, cooling sealing and transmitting power, which directly affects equipment life and energy efficiency. Traditional mineral-based lubricating oils rely on non-renewable petroleum, and they have high energy consumption and poor biodegradability (<30%) during the production process. They can easily cause lasting pollution after leakage and have a high carbon footprint throughout their life cycle, making it difficult to meet the “double carbon” goal. Bio-based lubricating oil uses renewable resources such as cottonseed oil and waste grease as raw materials. This material offers three significant advantages: sustainable sourcing, environmental friendliness, and adjustable performance. Its biodegradation rate is over 80%, and it reduces carbon emissions by 50–90%. Moreover, we can control its properties through processes like hydrogenation, isomerization, and transesterification to ensure it complies with ISO 6743 and other relevant standards. However, natural oils and fats have regular molecular structure, high freezing point (usually > −10 °C), and easy precipitation of wax crystals at low temperature, which restricts their industrial application. In recent years, a series of modification studies have been carried out around “pour point depression-viscosity preservation”. Catalytic isomerization can reduce the freezing point to −42 °C while maintaining a high viscosity index. Epoxidation–ring-opening modification introduces branched chains or ether bonds, taking into account low-temperature fluidity and oxidation stability. The deep dewaxing-isomerization dewaxing process improves the base oil yield, and the freezing point drops by 30 °C. The synergistic addition of polymer pour point depressant and nanomaterials can further reduce the freezing point by 10–15 °C and improve the cryogenic pumping performance. The life cycle assessment shows that using the “zero crude oil” route of waste oil and green hydrogen, the carbon emission per ton of lubricating oil is only 0.32 t, and the cost gradually approaches the level of imported synthetic esters. In the future, with the help of biorefinery integration, enzyme catalytic modification and AI molecular design, it is expected to realize high-performance, low-cost, near-zero-carbon lubrication solutions and promote the green transformation of industry. Full article

The aviation industry needs to develop sustainable, fire-safe cabin interior materials. Although wood is eco-friendly, its high flammability makes it challenging to meet flame retardant standards. Enhancing wood fire safety requires the creation of an environmentally friendly and flame retardant coating. In this study, a new type of intumescent flame retardant (IFR) coating was applied to the wood surface using the layer-by-layer (LBL) technique, with fully bio-based chitosan (CS), agar, and phytic acid (PA) as key components. The coated wood demonstrated improved durability, flame resistance, and thermal stability. Particularly, the Wood-2 sample achieved a vertical burning test (UL-94) V-0 rate and a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 53.1%, which exceeded most previous reported flame retardant coatings. Cone calorimeter test and infrared thermography analysis confirmed that a thick layer of intumescent char formed when the coating was exposed to heat, effectively hindering heat transfer and oxygen supply. This flame retardant effect is attributed to a synergistic mechanism involving nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) elements. This study offers an environmentally friendly solution for wood flame retardancy and lays an experimental and theoretical foundation for the development of green aviation interior materials. Full article

The distribution of algal biodiversity is important for better understanding the factors controlling ecosystem functioning in harsh Arctic and sub-Arctic habitats. In this region, diatoms are the most representative and best indicators of environmental parameters. Here, we analyzed the distribution of 1268 diatom species across 18 islands within the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) region based on our own and published data. To assess the representativeness of these floras, we examine genus–species associations, a method applicable to future algal flora studies. Diatom diversity is sufficiently high across the islands, with species richness decreasing toward higher latitudes. Species–area relationship models indicate that latitude—and even more so factors describing climatic extremes, like BIO19 (19 standard bioclimatic variables)—affects species richness stronger than islands area, and combined environmental and geographic predictors explain up to 81% of the observed variation. Bioindicator analysis reveals an increase in water pH, content in organic matter, and the number of eutrophic and mixotrophic species southward, which correlates with rising temperatures, as shown by the BIO19 and DHI (Dynamic Habitat Index) environmental indices. The latitudinal distribution of bioindicators demonstrates the ecological response of diatom communities to climatic factors and allows the identification of key indicator groups experiencing optimal conditions. So, island diatom species prefer benthic and planktonic–benthic habitats, well-oxygenated waters with low salinity, and moderate temperatures, which prevail on all islands except Vancouver Island, located outside the CAFF (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna) region. A comparative analysis of bioindicators as a response to Arctic conditions of island diatoms revealed circumpolar similarities, connections with the corresponding parts of the Eurasian and North American continents, as well as similarities in the conditions of the islands closest to the pole. Almost a third of the island diatom list (324 species) was assigned IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) vulnerability categories, 112 of which were in the three most threatened categories (Ex, Cr, and En) with their number increasing southwards, but 944 species have not been evaluated yet. Full article

Traditional methods for patient cohort identification from Electronic Health Records (EHRs) are often slow, labor-intensive, and fail to capture the rich semantic nuance embedded in unstructured clinical narratives. This paper introduces a scalable, end-to-end framework that creates a synergy between deep medical embeddings and Approximate Nearest Neighbor Search (ANNs) to overcome these limitations. We detail a complete pipeline that begins with preprocessing multi-modal EHR data and creating holistic patient representations using a domain-specific language model combined with an intelligent gated fusion mechanism. These high-dimensional embeddings are then indexed using an ANN method to enable near real-time retrieval. A comprehensive experimental evaluation was conducted on the MIMIC-III and MIMIC-IV datasets, comparing the retrieval performance of ClinicalBERT against BioBERT across several ANN algorithms. The results demonstrate that the combination of ClinicalBERT and HNSW consistently achieves the highest retrieval accuracy, with F1-Scores exceeding 0.78, and query latencies under 10 ms. This framework enables a paradigm shift towards high-speed, semantic patient similarity search, with significant implications for accelerating clinical trial recruitment, augmenting clinical decision support, and paving the way for a new era in data-driven precision medicine. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study was conducted to investigate the morphological impact of carbamazepine (CBZ) coated with carbon nanodots functionalised with silver nanoparticles (CNDs@AgNPs) and metal–organic framework (MOF-5) nanoparticles on the hearts of male rats with experimental epilepsy. Methods: Seventy male Wistar rats were randomly selected for the study and divided into ten groups of seven animals each. Haematoxylin–eosin staining was performed on heart tissue, and the levels of interleu-kin-6 (IL-6) and catalase (CAT) and the oxidative stress index (OSI) were determined bio-chemically. In addition, we performed morphological measurements of the heart. Results: When the heart tissues were evaluated histopathologically in all groups, it was observed that cells with pyknotic nuclei and haemorrhagic areas increased in the heart images, especially in the PTZ group with epilepsy only. Histologically normal cardiac cells and cardiac tissue were observed in the other groups. The distance between the atria was below 10 mm only in PTZ + CBZ 50 mg/kg and PTZ + CNDs@MOF-5 25 mg/kg groups. The distance between the apex of the heart and the base of the heart was the lowest in CNDs@MOF-5 25 mg/kg and CNDs@MOF-5 50 mg/kg groups. Conclusions: PTZ-induced epilepsy causes significant histopathological changes, while cardiac tissue structure is largely preserved in the treatment groups. In our literature review, we did not find any previous studies examining the effects of carbamazepine coated with two different types of nanoparticles on the cardiac morphology in an experimental epilepsy model. Full article

Background/Objectives: Chronic pain in women arises from a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and social factors. Despite its impact, validated screens for these bio-psycho-social risk factors are lacking. This study aimed to develop and validate a new screening and assessment tool to prevent chronic pain onset and detect hidden experiences of violence or trauma in women, also supporting individualized treatment. Methods: Conducted from December 2023 to June 2024 as part of a larger project, the original instrument comprised 36 bio-psycho-social risk factors. Rasch analysis was used for validation, assessing Infit, Outfit, DIF, ROC curves, and reliability indexes. Results: The sample included 239 women (100 victims), with 103 experiencing chronic pain, and 136 pain-free. Seven items were excluded due to poor fit, resulting in a 29-item version that met Rasch model criteria. Conclusions: The validated 29-item checklist, available in Italian, supports the bio-psycho-social model by identifying risk factors for chronic pain onset and detecting violence-related variables in diagnosed individuals. It offers clinicians and operators a practical tool to guide prevention and tailor personalized treatments. In addition, the RFCP-CK holds forensic relevance by offering measurable indicators that can support medico-legal evaluations, especially in cases where chronic pain is claimed to be a consequence of violence. Full article