Search Results (954)

The maritime sector accounts for approximately 3% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and faces binding decarbonization obligations under the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) Net-Zero Framework and the FuelEU Maritime Regulation. Conventional marine fuels, including very low sulphur fuel oil (VLSFO) and liquefied natural gas (LNG), are insufficient to meet long-term regulatory intensity targets on a well-to-wake (WtW) lifecycle basis, creating an urgent need for credible fuel alternatives. This study investigates ethanol as a primary fuel for marine dual-fuel propulsion systems, assessed across four distinct production pathways, sugar beet, corn, sugarcane, and wheat straw, to determine its full decarbonization potential relative to VLSFO and LNG benchmarks. A simulation-based multi-dimensional evaluation framework is developed and applied, integrating dynamic operational simulation, energy analysis, environmental lifecycle modelling, and regulatory compliance assessment. The framework is calibrated against a high-resolution dataset from an active container ship, with scenario-specific engine data. While ethanol requires 39.1% more fuel mass than VLSFO due to its lower energy density, all four ethanol pathways deliver substantially superior WtW GHG reductions: from 50.2% (corn) to 76.9% (wheat straw), compared with 20.6% for LNG. All ethanol scenarios satisfy FuelEU compliance limits across the 2026–2045 horizon, with wheat straw ethanol achieving a GFI of 22.52 gCO₂e/MJ, compliant marginally with the 2040 IMO target. These findings demonstrate that bio-based ethanol, particularly from lignocellulosic feedstocks, is a technically viable and regulatorily superior alternative to LNG for maritime decarbonization, warranting accelerated research into production scale-up and bunkering infrastructure development. Full article

Therapy resistance remains a major obstacle to successful cancer treatment and is driven by complex interactions between tumor-intrinsic adaptive mechanisms and signals originating from the tumor microenvironment. Among the molecular regulators implicated in these processes, the transcription factor FOXM1 has emerged as a key mediator of DNA damage repair, cell cycle progression, and stress adaptation. Although FOXM1 has traditionally been studied as a regulator of intracellular signaling pathways, accumulating evidence suggests that its functions extend beyond canonical transcriptional control. In this review, we analyze current knowledge on the mechanisms regulating FOXM1 expression and activity and discuss how FOXM1 contributes to therapy resistance. We propose that FOXM1 should be viewed not merely as a regulator of individual oncogenic pathways but as a systems-level coordinator that integrates intracellular stress adaptation with microenvironment-driven resistance mechanisms. Particular attention is given to the FOXM1 interactome, complemented by an analysis of protein interaction data from BioGRID. We also discuss emerging evidence implicating FOXM1 in intercellular communication. To identify potential links between FOXM1 signaling and extracellular vesicle cargo, we analyzed the overlap between FOXM1 target genes and proteins identified in extracellular vesicle proteome databases. These emerging regulatory networks may represent previously underappreciated contributors to therapy resistance. Full article

Raw lacquer, a natural polymer derived from the bast of lacquer trees (Toxicodendron vernicifluum), is renowned as the “King of Coatings” due to its exceptional film-forming properties, abrasion resistance, corrosion resistance, and biocompatibility. However, its inherent limitations—including stringent drying conditions, slow curing rates, deep coloration, and difficult application—have severely restricted its modernization and widespread adoption. This review systematically summarizes recent research advances in the modification and application of raw lacquer, focusing on four major modification strategies: (1) Nanocomposite modification—incorporating functional nanofillers such as Al₂O₃, cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), polydopamine (PDA) melanin-like nanoparticles, and SiO₂ to significantly enhance film hardness, compactness, UV-aging resistance, and drying kinetics. (2) Chemical structure modification—employing molecular design strategies including aminoanthraquinone grafting, tung oil blending, water-based emulsification, and terpene/allyl group functionalization to improve hydrophobicity, flexibility, fast-drying properties, and achieve dual photo/oxygen curing. (3) Biomass synergistic composites—utilizing natural polymers such as chitosan and lignin, along with bio-inspired adhesion mechanisms (e.g., PDA), to confer advanced functionalities including antibacterial and antifouling properties. (4) Curing behavior regulation—precisely controlling drying kinetics through inorganic salt ion microenvironment engineering, nonionic surfactants, and salicylaldehyde Schiff base-based driers. Building upon these foundations, this review further expands on the emerging high-value applications of modified lacquer in preventive conservation of cultural heritage, advanced functional coatings (anti-corrosion, super-hydrophobicity, flame retardancy), biomedical materials (hemostasis, antibacterial activity, drug-controlled release, water treatment adsorption), and intelligent responsive flexible electronics. Finally, addressing challenges including weak fundamental research, bottlenecks in green industrialization, and lack of standardization, future development directions are proposed encompassing interdisciplinary innovation, sustainable modification strategies, integration of multifunctional intelligent systems, and big data-driven research paradigms, aiming to provide theoretical guidance and technical references for the high-value utilization and modernization of lacquer resources. Full article

The conventional production of waterborne polyurethane (WPU) typically relies on organic solvents to regulate viscosity; additionally, traditional ionic WPU systems still utilize volatile neutralizers, raising environmental and health concerns. To overcome these limitations and reduce dependence on petrochemical resources, this study presents a solvent-free approach for WPU synthesis using isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), polytetrahydrofuran (PTMG), and the nonionic PEG derivative Ymer^TM A-130. In addition, castor oil (CO), a renewable and hydroxyl-rich bio-based material, was incorporated as a partial substitute for PTMG to improve both sustainability and material performance. The effects of varying substitution ratios of castor oil on the physical properties of the resulting dispersions, dried films, and coatings were initially investigated. The results indicate that increasing the castor oil content from 0 wt% to 11.8 wt% led to an enhancement in tensile strength, rising from 1.45 MPa to 2.40 MPa. Concurrently, the temperature at 5% weight loss (Td_5%) shifted upward from 263.84 °C to 285.36 °C, indicating a favorable trend in thermal stability. Furthermore, the preliminary solvent resistance, surface wetting characteristics, and environmental durability of the prepared coatings were evaluated and discussed. Full article

Carbon-neutral ship technologies not only protect the environment but also ensure the maritime sector’s future competitiveness and compliance with international regulations. Therefore, while the transition to carbon-neutral solutions in both port investments and ship technologies is an indispensable part of sustainable maritime transport, some safety risks remain uncertain. This study examines the safety aspects of carbon-neutral ship technologies (hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, battery systems, and other alternative fuels) and demonstrates how risks can be managed within the ALARP (As Low As Reasonably Practicable) framework. For this purpose, a risk matrix was created in the study using probability and severity values, an ALARP classification was made, and FMECA/HAZOP (Failure Mode, Effects, and Criticality Analysis/Hazard and Operability Study) summaries were prepared for critical risks. Subsequently, reasonable and practicable mitigation options were presented for each risk, covering technical, operational, and human factor dimensions. Analyses show that hydrogen poses an explosion risk, ammonia has toxicity and environmental impacts, methanol poses an invisible flame risk, and thermal runaway levels in battery systems are unacceptable. Other fuels (biofuels, LNG derivatives (blue fuels, bio-LNG), synthetic gases, and electro-fuels) offer opportunities in terms of sustainability and infrastructure compatibility but also carry some fundamental risks along with limitations in production capacity. Engineering solutions, operational measures, and human factor practices play a critical role in mitigating all these risks. The widespread adoption of carbon-neutral ship technologies is a process that requires a systematic approach not only to environmental sustainability but also to safety. Full article

Traditional petroleum-based packaging suffers from pollution and functional limits, making it unsuitable for next-generation food systems. In contrast, bio-based smart packaging—combining renewable substrates with responsive components—transforms packaging from a passive shell into an active quality monitor and supply chain information node through three interconnected pillars: renewability, real-time responsiveness to freshness markers, and digital traceability. Market figures confirm this shift, with the smart food packaging sector projected to reach USD 48.97 billion by 2028 (CAGR 4.49% from 2023). This review covers recent progress in natural polymers (cellulose, chitosan, alginate, gelatin) and bio-based polyesters (PLA, PHA). Their multiscale structures enable tunable mechanical and barrier properties while serving as hosts for intelligent functions. Two functional directions stand out: active preservation (antimicrobial, antioxidant, gas-regulating, stimulus-controlled release) and intelligent sensing (colorimetric indicators, bio-based sensors, nano-amplified signals for real-time freshness monitoring). Beyond material functions, digital tools such as IoT and blockchain turn packaging into interactive data nodes, linking material intelligence with full traceability to enhance food safety and supply chain efficiency. Key challenges remain with long-term operational stability, production costs, scalable manufacturing, and life cycle assessments. Nevertheless, bio-based smart packaging is expected to evolve through biomimetic design, process innovation, and system-level integration toward adaptability, multifunctionality, and intelligence, ultimately supporting safer, more transparent, efficient, and sustainable food systems. Full article

Globalization and international trade have increased the importance of customs authorities in ensuring national security. However, regulatory differences regarding substances such as cannabis derivatives, the emergence of new psychoactive substances (NPSs), and the limitations of detection technology challenge customs in identifying suspicious cross-border goods. Traditional attribute extraction methods struggle with professional terminology and cross-sentence reasoning, making it difficult to regulate unknown or emerging substances. To address this, we propose a generative question answering (QA) framework based on inverse reinforcement learning (IRL) that converts attribute extraction into natural language QA tasks. Our approach, CAESAR (Chemical-Attribute Extraction with Sub-rewArd Reinforcement), uses a customs database to match known profiles and cross-references extracted attributes with benchmarks to enhance detection. It integrates the BioBART model with multi-objective reward optimization, using QA templates to capture implicit attributes. IRL automates the learning of reward weights from expert annotations. Experiments show that CAESAR achieves a competitive F1 score of 77.82 on explicit attributes and obtains the highest BLEU score and the lowest perplexity among the compared generative methods. For implicit attributes, ROUGE-L and BLEU scores are 43.08 and 44.46, respectively, with a perplexity of 11.3. These results are obtained in an open-ended generative QA setting rather than a closed-set classification setting, indicating that the proposed framework can provide practically useful attribute-level evidence for customs-oriented risk pre-screening and expert-assisted prioritization. This study offers an efficient solution for mining implicit knowledge in chemical texts and provides insights into multi-objective generative tasks. Full article

Nanotechnology has attracted increasing attention in agricultural and environmental research, but the biological effects and potential risks of nanoparticles based on non-essential elements remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated the physiological and biochemical responses of rice (Oryza sativa L.) seedlings to yttrium oxide nanoparticles (Y₂O₃ NPs) and zirconium oxide nanoparticles (ZrO₂ NPs) at 5, 25, and 100 mg/L under hydroponic conditions. The results showed that neither Y₂O₃ nor ZrO₂ NPs significantly affected visible growth traits or SPAD-based leaf chlorophyll status, suggesting that seedling morphology and leaf greenness remained relatively stable during exposure. However, both nanoparticles induced distinct biochemical responses. Y₂O₃ NPs caused root-level stress-like responses, including increased malondialdehyde (MDA) accumulation and suppressed peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities under specific exposure conditions. In contrast, ZrO₂ NPs were more closely associated with the activation of antioxidant defenses, particularly through enhanced POD activity and increased root CAT activity. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analysis further showed that Y and Zr were mainly retained in roots, with root Y reaching 5014.12–11,255.05 mg kg⁻¹ dry weight (DW) under Y₂O₃ NP exposure and root Zr reaching 189.68 mg kg⁻¹ DW under high-concentration ZrO₂ NP exposure. Bio-transmission electron microscopy (bio-TEM) supported the root-dominant localization of nanoparticle-associated electron-dense aggregates. These findings indicate that Y₂O₃ and ZrO₂ NPs exert material-specific effects on rice seedlings, with root accumulation and antioxidant regulation serving as more sensitive indicators than visible growth traits. However, further research is needed to clarify the long-term environmental fate of Y₂O₃ and ZrO₂ NPs and to assess their potential ecological and food safety risks in agricultural systems. Full article

Waste vegetable oil-based regenerants (WVO-Rs) are essential for sustainable asphalt pavements; however, their formulation optimization frameworks remain insufficient, and both the component synergy and the multi-component regeneration mechanism remain unclear. In this study, Response Surface Methodology was employed to optimize the WVO-R formulation by jointly considering the multi-temperature performance and interfacial water stability of the regenerated bitumen. Multi-scale performance tests and quantum chemical calculations were conducted to comprehensively evaluate its regeneration effectiveness and thermal behavior and to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. The results indicate that the formulation optimization framework dominated by multi-temperature rheological properties and interfacial water stability exhibits superior engineering applicability compared with traditional methods, and the optimal WVO-R formulation corresponds to a mass ratio of WVO:DBP:CPR:SCA:ATO = 100:23.6:14.4:1.7:1. The WVO-R achieves optimal comprehensive regeneration at a dosage of 6–8%, exhibiting excellent thermal and storage stability along with uniform mixing. At the molecular level, the WVO-R forms a dynamic and stable molecular aggregate structure by integrating inherently stable components, leveraging the bipolar silane coupling agent to regulate critical polarity mismatches of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), and establishing a synergistic interaction network dominated by dispersion forces, supplemented by localized stacking and hydrogen-bonding interactions. On this basis, Oleic acid further depolymerizes aged asphaltene (AAS) aggregates through hydrogen bonding interactions, DBP enhances the reversible deformation capacity of AAS via π–π stacking effects, and the overall WVO-R components reshape the electronic structural characteristics of AAS to levels comparable to virgin asphaltene by smoothing the surface electrostatic potential gradient and suppressing electronic reactivity. Overall, this study establishes a systematic framework for WVO-Rs that integrates formulation optimization, regeneration performance evaluation, thermal behavior analysis, and molecular-level mechanism elucidation, thereby providing solid theoretical support for the efficient design and engineering application of bio-based bitumen regenerants. Full article

Fertilizer management plays a critical role in regulating both yield and aroma quality in fragrant rice. However, the combined effects of functional fertilizers on these traits across different varieties and ecological conditions remain poorly understood. In this study, field experiments were conducted at two sites (Fumin and Dali) using two japonica fragrant rice varieties (Yunjing 37 and Liuxiangzi 1) under four fertilization treatments: T1 (conventional fertilization); T2 (compound fertilizer + silicon fertilizer); T3 (compound fertilizer + magnesium ammonium phosphate + amino acid-chelated calcium); and T4 (compound fertilizer + bio-organic fertilizer + zinc + amino acid water-soluble fertilizer). Compared with T1, silicon application (T2) significantly increased grain yield by 8.58–15.08%, primarily through synergistic increases in effective panicles and grains per panicle. Treatments T3 and T4 significantly enhanced grain 2-acetyl-1-pyrroline (2-AP) content by 18.32–32.67% and increased the diversity of volatile compounds. Correlation analysis revealed that 2-AP content was positively correlated with ketones (r = 0.373, p < 0.05) and alcohols (r = 0.363, p < 0.05), and negatively correlated with aldehydes and esters. Multifactor ANOVA showed no significant variety × treatment interaction for yield or 2-AP content (p > 0.05), indicating consistent responses across varieties. These results provide preliminary evidence that silicon fertilizer serves as an effective strategy for yield improvement, while combined application of calcium, magnesium, and amino acids enhances aroma quality by promoting the accumulation of 2-APm ketones, and alcohols. However, because treatments T3 and T4 contained multiple components, the individual contributions of Ca, Mg, or amino acids cannot be isolated. Multi-year trials are required to confirm the stability of these effects, featuring a differentiated fertilization strategy—silicon for yield and medium/trace elements for aroma—applicable across varieties, with site-specific variety selection further optimizing performance. Full article

This study proposed an RF-guided heuristic feature-selection framework that integrates multi-source remote-sensing data for estimating Pinus densata aboveground carbon stock (AGCS) in Shangri-La, Yunnan Province, China. Compared with four baseline feature-selection methods, the Random Forest–Alpha Evolution (RFA) and Random Forest–Markov Chain Monte Carlo (RFM) algorithms generated more informative feature subsets and improved model performance, with the Optuna-optimized AdaBoost model based on RFM features achieving the highest accuracy (R² = 0.71, RMSE = 10.53 t/ha). These results suggest that RF-guided heuristic feature selection can effectively improve AGCS estimation in complex mountainous environments. Vegetation indices and texture features were consistently prioritized across different feature-selection methods. Shapley Additive Explanations (SHAP)-based interpretation revealed that the most influential predictors were the Sentinel-2A green normalized difference vegetation index (S2_GNDVI) and precipitation of the wettest month (bio13) in the RFA Method, and the Sentinel-2A red-edge normalized difference vegetation index (S2_NDVI45) and bio13 in the RFM Method. These findings underscore the critical importance of canopy greenness, moisture availability, and structural complexity in regulating carbon accumulation in montane conifer forests. The final AGCS maps yielded total estimates of 9.83 Mt (RFA) and 10.46 Mt (RFM), and revealed a consistent spatial pattern, with moderate AGCS values dominating the landscape and a general tendency for higher values in the northwest and lower values in the southeast. In summary, the combination of RF-guided heuristic feature selection, Optuna-optimized machine learning and SHAP provides an effective and interpretable framework for AGCS estimation in mountain forests. Full article

Background: Intestinal fibrosis is a severe complication of Crohn’s disease (CD) with no effective therapies currently available. Muscleblind-like protein 1 (MBNL1) is an RNA-binding protein that has been implicated in fibrosis across multiple organs, but its role in CD-associated intestinal fibrosis remains unexplored. This study aims to investigate the expression, functional role, and underlying mechanism of MBNL1 in intestinal fibrosis. Methods: MBNL1 expression was examined in a TNBS-induced mouse model and in stenotic intestinal tissues from CD patients. In vitro, human colonic fibroblasts (CCD-18Co) were stimulated with transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) to model fibrosis. MBNL1 was knocked down or overexpressed to assess its effects on fibroblast activation, proliferation (5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine, EdU; Cell Counting Kit-8, CCK-8), and apoptosis (flow cytometry). Potential downstream pathways were predicted using BioGRID and DAVID analyses and validated by Western blot. A rescue experiment with the RAS activator ML-097 was performed to confirm pathway dependency. Results: MBNL1 expression was significantly upregulated in fibrotic tissues from both the mouse model and CD patients, as well as in TGF-β1-stimulated CCD-18Co. MBNL1 knockdown suppressed TGF-β1-induced fibroblast activation and proliferation while promoting apoptosis, whereas MBNL1 overexpression had the opposite effect. Mechanistically, MBNL1 positively regulated the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway. Reactivation of this pathway with ML-097 reversed the inhibitory effects of MBNL1 knockdown on fibroblast activation and proliferation. Conclusions: MBNL1 promotes colonic fibroblast activation and proliferation by activating the RAS-MAPK signaling pathway, establishing it as a potential therapeutic target for intestinal fibrosis in Crohn’s disease. Full article

Eucalypt plantations have expanded across tropical, subtropical, and temperate regions and now play an important role in the global supply of wood and renewable biomass, while remaining at the center of debates on water use, biodiversity, and socio-economic trade-offs. This review examines whether these plantations can deliver ecological, social, and technological benefits under appropriate management. This review synthesizes evidence from nearly 200 peer-reviewed papers, technical reports, and books covering environmental services, livelihood outcomes, and emerging bio-based applications of Eucalyptus species. The literature shows that well-planned plantations can deliver clear benefits. High biomass production supports carbon sequestration, while improvements in soil structure, nutrient cycling, and the recovery of degraded lands are frequently reported. Effects on water, often described in general terms as negative, vary widely with climate, soils, stand age, and previous land use, and are documented to play roles in biodrainage, salinity control, erosion reduction, and local microclimate regulation under suitable conditions. From a socio-economic perspective, Eucalyptus, a widely planted species, supports rural development by generating income, strengthening value chains for wood products and bioenergy, and offering smallholders a fast-growing resource. Technological work on materials and bioproducts, including nanocellulose, essential-oil formulations, biochar-based applications, and wood vinegar, further illustrates this versatility. Overall, while outcomes remain site-specific and dependent on governance, the evidence indicates that, under science-based management and careful landscape planning, eucalypt plantations can contribute to climate mitigation, rural livelihoods, and the circular bioeconomy. Full article

Acaryochloris marina is a distinctive cyanobacterium that uses chlorophyll d as its primary photosynthetic pigment and possesses two major light-harvesting systems: membrane-integral chlorophyll-binding Pcb/CBP complexes and water-soluble phycobiliproteins. How these antenna systems respond at the transcriptome level to contrasting light environments remains incompletely characterized. Here, we re-analyzed a publicly available RNA-seq dataset for A. marina MBIC11017 (NCBI BioProject PRJNA1130970), comparing cells grown under low-irradiance far-red light (LL-FR; 1.5–2 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹, 710-nm peak) and high-irradiance white light (HL-WL; 30–35 µmol photons m⁻² s⁻¹). Because light quality and irradiance both differ in this experimental design, the two effects cannot be separated; all transcriptional changes are therefore interpreted as responses to the combined LL-FR versus HL-WL contrast rather than to far-red wavelength alone. Of 8439 expressed genes, 1810 (21.4%) were significantly differentially expressed (adjusted p < 0.05). Using GFF-verified locus tags which corrected mis-annotations propagated in earlier analyses, the PS-I core gene set showed a mean log₂ fold-change of +1.96 (3.9-fold; 11/11 loci significant), whereas the PS-II core gene set showed a mean log₂ fold-change of +1.10 (2.1-fold; 12/20 loci significant). Light-harvesting genes showed the strongest response: 17/18 phycobiliprotein-pathway genes in KEGG amr00196 were upregulated, together with multiple putative Pcb/CBP loci (mean antenna log₂FC = +3.51; 11.4-fold). Weighted gene co-expression network analysis placed the antenna-associate genes examined here within a module positively correlated with the LL-FR condition (r = 0.802, p = 0.017), and STRING analysis supported an enriched network of predicted or known protein associations (1115 nodes, 4763 edges; PPI enrichment p < 1.0 × 10⁻¹⁶). Recent matched-irradiance experiments indicate that, at equal photon flux, far-red wavelengths reduce phycobilisome content relative to white light. The transcriptional pattern reported here is therefore most parsimoniously interpreted as predominantly a low-irradiance response, with possible wavelength-associated CA5 contributions that cannot be isolated in the present design. Overall, the analysis reveals coordinated transcript-level changes across plasmid-encoded reacquired phycobiliprotein genes, chromosomal Pcb/CBP loci, chlorophyll biosynthesis genes, and photosystem core genes, consistent with coordinated regulation of light-harvesting components in A. marina. Full article

Periodontitis is a biofilm-associated inflammatory disease that still requires effective local non-antibiotic antibacterial strategies. In this study, we developed a protonated defect-engineered atomic-layered graphitic carbon nitride nano-system (PVCN) for visible light photodynamic antibacterial therapy. Defect engineering was used to improve visible light absorption and photodynamic activity, while protonation introduced a positively biased surface potential to strengthen bacteria–material interactions and enhance interfacial antibacterial efficacy. Under visible light irradiation, PVCN showed increased ROS production, stronger bacterial adhesion, and rapid killing activity against both Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, with bactericidal efficiency above 95%. PVCN also disrupted S. aureus biofilms and induced membrane damage, intracellular content leakage, and metabolic suppression. Atomic force microscopy and omics analyses further supported enhanced bacterial adsorption as an important contributor to the improved antibacterial efficacy of PVCN. In vitro assays demonstrated preliminary cytocompatibility and hemocompatibility. In a ligature-induced mouse periodontitis model, PVCN reduced bacterial burden, alleviated inflammation, and attenuated alveolar bone loss. These results support PVCN as a promising photodynamic antibacterial material with preliminary therapeutic potential in experimental periodontitis, and highlight bio-interface regulation as a useful strategy for designing efficient carbon nitride-based photodynamic antibacterial materials. Full article