Search Results (391)

In the broader context of ecological transition, it is essential to identify solutions that ensure indoor environmental quality encompassing thermal, visual, acoustic, and indoor air quality conditions to safeguard occupant health and well-being. These solutions should also meet the demand for energy-efficient buildings. With specific regard to thermal environments, a distinction must be made between residential and non-residential settings, where comfort conditions can be achieved, and industrial environments, where thermal stress—and consequently health risks—may arise. To evaluate the quality of a thermal environment, key metrics are necessary. These include the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) for global thermal comfort, Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) and the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) for hot environments, and Required Insulation (IREQ) for cold environments, all governed by ISO-EN standards. The use of indices in residential and non-residential buildings outlines two critical challenges. The first relates to the fact that, in certain instances involving non-air-conditioned buildings, conditions can be borderline between comfort and thermal stress, which must be accurately identified. Secondly, the application of indices frequently neglects necessary variables, disregarding the fundamental limitations and operational boundaries inherent to both objective and personal input quantities. Moreover, the use of measurement devices inconsistent with the minimum requirements laid down by the standards in the field results in unwanted biases with unforeseeable consequences. This review explores the formulation, use, and limitations of the four indices mentioned, providing a perspective on their future development. It establishes the criteria for reliable long-term assessments of thermal and energy environments, encompassing the analysis of both heat and cold strain. Full article

Rapid growth in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and high-performance computing has substantially increased data centre rack power densities, resulting in higher heat generation and more demanding cooling requirements. As water remains widely used in many cooling systems, understanding the relationship between cooling technologies and water consumption is essential for improving cooling efficiency and sustainability. This paper presents a survey of reported water usage effectiveness (WUE) across 83 data centre entries, providing a combined dataset that links WUE with heat-rejection categories. The reported data shows that 23 of these data centres exceed 0.4 L/kWh, which is a sustainability target specified by the Climate Neutral Data Centre Pact for new data centres in water-stressed regions using potable water. Dry facilities employing closed-loop liquid cooling require essentially no water, while evaporative systems typically report water usage effectiveness values up to 2.5 L/kWh. Reported WUE is a facility-level operational metric, set by the proportion of the IT heat load rejected by evaporation, which depends on the heat-rejection topology, ambient wet-bulb conditions, and operating set points. A higher server-side heat transfer coefficient permits a higher coolant supply temperature for a given chip temperature limit, widening the range of ambient conditions under which heat can be rejected without evaporative assistance. Server-side heat transfer is therefore an enabling condition for low WUE rather than a determinant of it. One-dimensional heat transfer models are developed to estimate heat transfer coefficients for different server-level cooling mechanisms widely used for cooling servers within data centres, including air cooling, single-phase immersion cooling, direct liquid cooling, and two-phase immersion cooling. Air cooling, with the lowest heat transfer coefficient, remains widely used in small-scale facilities, whereas direct liquid cooling and two-phase immersion cooling achieve coefficients up to three orders of magnitude higher and are increasingly deployed in high-density installations. These coefficients are used to derive an equivalent evaporative water demand, an upper-bound estimate of the water that would be evaporated in rejecting the heat each mechanism removes; it shares the units of reported WUE but describes thermal capability rather than facility water consumption. Full article

Although conventionally quantified as an urban–rural thermal anomaly, urban heat islands are systematic expressions of development choices that shape unequal exposures and health risks across cities. This article develops an integrated urban development-health framework explaining how imperviousness, vegetation deficit, landscape configuration, urban morphology, thermally absorptive materials and nocturnal heat retention connect heat exposure with physical disease, mental well-being and climate-responsive planning. A critical integrative review reported using PRISMA 2020 and PRISMA-ScR principles, organised evidence from urban climate, public health, environmental epidemiology and planning. The synthesis covers the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Normalized Difference Built-up Index (NDBI), Local Climate Zones (LCZs), sky-view factor (SVF), height-to-width ratio (H/W), land-surface temperature (LST), Universal Thermal Climate Index (UTCI), Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET), wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and nocturnal minimum temperature, together with cardiovascular, respiratory, psychiatric, sleep, mortality and well-being outcomes. Six recurrent amplification pathways were identified: imperviousness and low canopy cover; nocturnal heat retention; social vulnerability; blue-green and cool infrastructure; heat–pollution–humidity interaction; and sleep/mental-health disruption. The Urban Heat-Health Development Index (UHHDI) and Urban Heat-Health Amplification Pattern (UHHAP) are proposed as transparent, review-derived tools for urban diagnosis and policy prioritisation. A Spanish/Mediterranean climatic-zone transition analysis illustrates how future climatic severity can be translated into planning-relevant exposure potential. The findings support a shift from simply describing urban heat to diagnosing development-driven heat-health risk, with implications for urban regeneration, thermal justice, public-health adaptation and healthy-city governance. Full article

Endophytic fungi are promising sources of chemically diverse metabolites. Fusarium species exhibit diverse biological roles, ranging from beneficial applications to detrimental effects, including plant diseases and mycotoxin production. A few reports have investigated Fusarium equiseti bioactivity, but no reports have evaluated its anti-inflammatory potential. In the present study, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) extract obtained from an endophytic F. equiseti, isolated for the first time from the bulb of Pancratium maritimum L., was evaluated for its in vitro antioxidant, cytotoxic, anti-acetyl- and butyrylcholinesterases, and anti-inflammatory activities. The extract was chemically profiled by LC-MS/MS, evaluated in complementary antioxidant and cytotoxicity screens, and assessed for inhibition of nitric oxide (NO) production in lipopolysaccharide-stimulated RAW264.7 macrophages. In addition, putatively annotated metabolites were further examined by molecular docking against inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), as a promising biological activity providing a target directly aligned with the NO-based assay. The EtOAc extract showed total phenolics content of 29.31 mg GAE/g and a total alkaloid content of 8.43 mg AE/g, with a DPPH radical scavenging IC₅₀ value of 2.18 mg/mL. Cytotoxicity assessment against the RAW264.7 cell line revealed an IC₅₀ value of 49.95 μg/mL, while the Artemia salina lethality assay yielded an LC₅₀ value of 1.86 mg/mL. Notably, the extract demonstrated potent anti-inflammatory activity through nitric oxide inhibition, with an IC₅₀ value of 4.70 μg/mL compared with 18.46 μg/mL for quercetin. LC-MS/MS analysis offered the tentative identification of 31 metabolites in the extract. Docking against iNOS identified fusarioxazin as the highest-scoring ligand (−8.8 kcal/mol), although these computational predictions require experimental validation with purified compounds. The data identify suppression of macrophage NO production as the principal bioactivity of the crude F. equiseti TU-64 extract. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of endophytic F. equiseti as a promising source of bioactive metabolites for the development of natural therapeutic agents. Full article

Fructan metabolism governs garlic bulb expansion and yield formation. Dynamic carbohydrates and four fructan-metabolizing enzymes (1-FFT, 1-SST, 1-FEH, INV) of ‘Ledu purple garlic’ were tracked over 0–84 days after transplanting. Combined with multivariate statistics and carbon contribution quantification, we analyzed source–sink carbohydrate allocation. Garlic growth was divided into three phases: 0–42 d leaf vegetative growth, 42–56 d synchronous leaf and bulb development, and 56–84 d rapid bulb bulking. Fructan was the dominant storage carbohydrate in bulbs, peaking at 869.81 mg·g⁻¹ DW at harvest. Aerial carbohydrates were degraded and remobilized underground in late growth, while bulb monosaccharides showed bimodal fluctuations. Carbon supply shifted sequentially: mother bulbs supplied carbon at the seedling stage, leaves and pseudostems co-provided photosynthates in the mid-term, and pseudostems became the major temporary remobilizable carbon storage organ during late bulking under this single-site trial with a 14-day sampling interval. Fructan contents and enzyme activities exhibited obvious stage-specific patterns and could act as potential biochemical markers for distinguishing growth stages of ‘Ledu purple garlic’ under the present single-site field trial; their broad applicability across diverse garlic cultivars remains to be verified. 1-FFT was active only in early stages, while bulb 1-SST increased continuously. Day 42 represented the source–sink transition threshold with peak INV activity. Synchronous variation in enzyme activities only hints at coordinated carbohydrate redistribution under this test environment, which may support bulb dry matter accumulation. Full article

Water scarcity in the Peruvian Altiplano demands irrigation strategies that optimise water use without compromising agricultural productivity. The objective of this study was to compare the effects of drip irrigation and micro-sprinkler irrigation on the agronomic development, water balance, and yield of Chinese garlic (Allium sativum L.) in the community of Challapujo, Ilave, Puno, during the 2021–2022 growing season. Six plots were evaluated under two localised irrigation treatments: T-1 (drip) and T-2 (micro-sprinkler). The irrigation scheduling was based on a daily water balance, accounting for evapotranspiration, precipitation, effective root depth, and soil moisture thresholds. The soil exhibited analogous hydro-physical characteristics across treatments, with a bulk density of 1.28 g cm⁻³, a field capacity of 20.31%, and a permanent wilting point of 10.33% for T-1 and values of 1.31 g cm⁻³, 19.99%, and 10.16%, respectively, for T-2. The C-factor was calculated based the actual volume applied and the effectively wetted area, estimated at 80% for drip irrigation and close to 100% for micro-sprinklers. During the 190-day growing period, 84 effective irrigation events and a cumulative precipitation of 424.30 mm were recorded. Treatment T-1 required 1099.98 min of irrigation and applied 223.87 mm, whereas T-2 required 1280.75 min and 346.76 mm; this represented an absolute saving of 122.89 mm and a 35.5% reduction in favour of drip irrigation. Nevertheless, no significant differences were observed regarding to plant height, pseudostem diameter, leaf length, pre-bulbing stage, number of leaves, or yield—with values of 14.70 t ha⁻¹ for T-1 and 14.83 t ha⁻¹ for T-2. In conclusion, both systems yielded equivalent agronomic results, but drip irrigation demonstrated superior water-use efficiency, making it a technically favourable alternative for high-Andean production systems with limited water availability. Full article

Traditional manual measurement of garlic bulb phenotypic traits is inefficient, subjective, poorly reproducible, and may cause sample damage. To improve the adaptability of three-dimensional reconstruction to garlic bulb morphology and grading-related parameter extraction, this study developed a non-destructive phenotypic measurement workflow based on multi-view image-based three-dimensional reconstruction. Four garlic materials with distinct bulb morphologies and epidermal characteristics were used to demonstrate the feasibility of the reconstruction workflow, and 40 Lanling white-skinned garlic bulbs were used for quantitative accuracy validation. Multi-view images were acquired using a high-resolution camera, a motorized turntable, and a controlled illumination system. Three-dimensional models were reconstructed using ContextCapture, and the resulting point clouds were processed in CloudCompare through cropping, denoising, downsampling, and pose correction. Maximum longitudinal diameter, maximum transverse diameter, and volume were extracted from the processed point clouds according to GB/T 45244-2025 (Grades and Specifications of Garlic) and validated against manual reference measurements. The coefficients of determination for maximum longitudinal diameter, maximum transverse diameter, and volume were 0.9935, 0.9909, and 0.9924, respectively, with RMSE values of 0.0529 cm, 0.0520 cm, and 0.8874 cm³, and MAPE values of 0.6647%, 0.7765%, and 1.9149%. Additional MAE, bias, confidence interval, and Bland–Altman analyses further supported the agreement between model-derived and manual reference measurements. These results demonstrate the feasibility of multi-view image-based three-dimensional reconstruction for non-destructive garlic bulb phenotypic measurement and provide a methodological basis for future grading-related assessment and three-dimensional phenotyping of bulbous horticultural crops. Full article

Four onion (Allium cepa L.) cultivars with different bulb colors (yellow Y14, red R12, red R10 and white W3) were characterized for phenotypic, metabolic, volatile, antioxidant, flavor and transcriptomic variations, to unravel key metabolites and molecular mechanisms responsible for quality differentiation. Y14 possessed the maximum bulb weight (535.34 g) and diameter (13.10 cm), along with the highest total phenolic content (3.10 mg·g⁻¹), showing superior yield and antioxidant properties. In R12, upregulated expression of carotenoid biosynthetic genes enhanced carotenoid accumulation, resulting in vivid bulb color. R10 had high total phenols (3.89 mg·g⁻¹) and the richest sweet-associated volatiles, featuring strong antioxidant activity and distinct sweetness. By contrast, W3 exhibited moderate flavor but inferior performance in yield, antioxidant capacity, pigment and volatile levels relative to the other three cultivars. Comprehensive assessment indicated that Y14 serves as an excellent processing material, R12 and R10 are ideal for fresh consumption and functional food development, and W3 is well-suited for raw salads. This study lays a theoretical foundation for onion quality improvement, targeted breeding and efficient utilization. Full article

Ungernia victoris and U. sewerzowii (Amaryllidaceae J.St.-Hil.) are rare medicinal species of Central Asia known as sources of biologically active alkaloids, including galantamine. In this study, antioxidant activity was comparatively evaluated across different types of plant material, including natural populations, botanical garden specimens, in vitro regenerants, callus cultures, in vitro obtained bulbs, and seeds. Micropropagation systems based on direct and indirect organogenesis were developed using Murasige and Skoog and Vollosovich et al. media with various plant growth regulator combinations. Antioxidant activity was determined with the use of DPPH and ABTS assays and expressed as IC₅₀ values. Significant variability was observed depending on population origin, type of biological material, and in vitro cultivation conditions. U. sewerzowii demonstrated higher antioxidant activity than U. victoris in natural populations. The highest activity was recorded in callus cultures, whereas in vitro-derived bulbs showed relatively low activity. A strong positive correlation between DPPH and ABTS assays confirmed the reliability of the results and indicated the contribution of multiple types of secondary metabolites. These findings highlight the potential of Ungernia callus cultures as a promising biotechnological platform for the production of antioxidant-active compounds and support sustainable utilization strategies. Full article

Lilium, a traditional plant with dual medicinal and ornamental values, is restricted in its industrial development by the low natural propagation rate of bulbs and dependence on imported high-quality germplasm. To address this bottleneck, this study used new lines of LA hybrid lilies and Asiatic hybrid lilies (three cultivars) as experimental materials to establish an efficient and stable tissue culture and rapid propagation system. Key procedures including disinfection of different explants (bulb scales and capsules), adventitious bud induction and proliferation, rooting culture, as well as acclimatization and transplantation were systematically evaluated. The results showed that bulb scales were superior to capsule seeds as explants in tissue culture (contamination rate 9.44%, regeneration rate 11.92%). After disinfection with 75% ethanol combined with 10% sodium hypochlorite, the contamination rate could be controlled at 14.29–21.43%, and the regeneration rate reached 100%. Supplementation with 50 g·L⁻¹ sucrose + 1 mg·L⁻¹ 6-BA + 0.1 mg·L⁻¹ NAA (Treatment TA1), 50 g·L⁻¹ sucrose + 2 mg·L⁻¹ 6-BA + 0.5 mg·L⁻¹ NAA (Treatment TA4) in MS medium, combined with dark culture, could effectively promote adventitious bud induction, proliferation and bulblet enlargement. For the rooting stage, the optimal media were 1/2 MS + 0.5 g·L⁻¹ activated charcoal + 2 mg·L⁻¹ 6-BA + 0.5 mg·L⁻¹ NAA (Treatment TB4) or MS + 0.3 g·L⁻¹ activated charcoal + 2 mg·L⁻¹ 6-BA + 0.5 mg·L⁻¹ NAA (Treatment TB1), and the highest rooting rate of ‘Pink Renault’ reached 100%. When plantlets from all three cultivars were combined and acclimatized and transplanted into sterilized peat soil, the overall survival rate was 89.33%. The TOPSIS method was also adopted for comprehensive evaluation to screen out the optimal culture conditions for different varieties. Based on phenotypic observation and physiological index data, ‘Pink Renault’ showed great potential as an excellent propagation germplasm. The integrated and optimized technical system provides a feasible solution for large-scale and industrialized seedling production of medicinal and ornamental lilies, and is of great practical significance for the efficient utilization of germplasm resources and sustainable development of the lily industry. Full article

Background: Daily, perhaps for hours at a time, pacifiers are put in baby’s mouths for the primary purpose of soothing. A causal relationship exists between the use of pacifiers and the development of malocclusions and disturbances to the cranio-facial-respiratory complex (CFRC). Finite element analysis (FEA) has enabled us to understand how pacifier bulbs behave under negative pressure and tongue movement in the mouth. It is now realized that the design and size of pacifiers should be based on infant and toddler biometrics of the maxillary palatal width and should contribute to proper oral function and development. Attention has shifted toward the interaction between the pacifier shield, the lips, chin and developing tempro-mandibular joint (TMJ). Free mandibular motion is essential to normal TMJ development, essential to maintaining airway space and promoting forward mandibular growth. This is especially relevant in infants with retrognathia, when shield pressure may restrict free movement of the jaw and anterior mandibular advancement. Conclusions: When the pacifier shield interacts with the chin, it impacts the growth and development of the infant mandible and airway physiology. Interference with free movement of the mandible must be made a functional concern in design of the pacifier shield. Technological advances in smartphone photogrammetry now make development of non-invasive diagnostic tools that can advantage the future oral health of children. Full article

Background/Objectives: Since June 2025, Japan has mandated countermeasures to prevent outdoor laborers from developing heat-related illness at work. However, the extent to which preventive behaviors can reduce the actual heatstroke risk has not been quantified. The present study aimed to (i) project future trends in the daily number of heat-related ambulance transports in the working population under climate change, and (ii) evaluate the population-level preventive impact of workplace-adopted preventive behaviors using effect estimates from observational data. Methods: Using daily maximum wet-bulb globe temperature, a long-term future projection of heat-related ambulance transports was performed in the working population. A cross-sectional survey was carried out to infer the effect size of behavioral interventions. The effectiveness of taking preventive behaviors was evaluated by increasing the coverage rate of workers adhering to all four behaviors (current: 23%): (i) regular hydration, (ii) use of an air-cooling vest, (iii) checking their own health condition before work, and (iv) recognizing warning signs. Theoretical scenarios in which workplace instructions to workers or teams increased adherence by 50%, 100%, and 300% relative to baseline were considered, corresponding to coverage rates at 34%, 45%, and 91%, respectively, and we evaluated the associated reduction in heatstroke risk. Results: Many future years were projected to have higher annual levels of heat-related ambulance transports than the median value from 2018–2024, indicating a long-term increasing trend. Even when all four possible countermeasures were implemented at an additional 50%, 100% or 300% from the current rate, the expected relative risk reduction in transports was 3.2%, 6.3%, and 19.0%, respectively, indicating only a small effect on future projected heat-related illnesses. Conclusions: The number of heat-related ambulance transports is expected to increase; however, the relative risk reduction with behavioral intervention is likely limited. A fundamental overhaul of working regulations and environment (e.g., drastic shift in working hours to earlier morning) is required via adaptation policies, and mitigation of climate change is vital. Full article

Ground-source heat pump (GSHP) systems are widely used because of their energy-saving and environmentally friendly characteristics. However, the long-term operation of a standalone GSHP system leads to heat accumulation in the soil for cooling load-dominated buildings, which results in a decline in system performance. To address this issue, in this study, a high-speed railway station in Jinan was considered as the research object, and a hybrid system scheme in which a GSHP is coupled with an air-source heat pump (ASHP) was developed. The system uses the outdoor dry-bulb temperature as the control parameter and establishes a multi-unit operation control strategy. A dynamic simulation model of the hybrid system was constructed using TRNSYS software, and then the energy consumption, soil thermal balance, economics and environmental benefits of the system under various schemes and operating conditions were simulated and analyzed. Through a comparative analysis of the operating strategies, the optimal strategy that achieved the best performance was determined. Under the optimal strategy, the soil thermal imbalance rate after 10 years of operation was only 1%, the total energy consumption was significantly lower than that of a standalone ASHP system, and the initial investment was clearly lower than that of a standalone GSHP system. The results demonstrate that the hybrid system ensures soil thermal balance and high-efficiency operation while providing significant energy savings (a 28% primary energy savings rate compared to a standalone ASHP) and environmental benefits (reducing annual CO₂, SO₂, NOx, and dust emissions by 56.5 t, 384.2 kg, 361.6 kg, and 339 kg, respectively). Therefore, the emission of atmospheric pollutants such as CO₂, SO₂, NOx, and dust can be effectively reduced, thus providing an important reference for the development of building energy-saving technologies under the “dual carbon” goals. Full article

Lilium longiflorum is a diploid lily species valued for its tolerance to humid–hot environments and pleasant fragrance. However, its poor cold hardiness and low bulb-forming capacity limit its cultivation. To overcome these deficiencies, autotetraploids were previously generated in our laboratory via somatic doubling. In order to expand the reproductive efficiency of the two, this study optimized in vitro regeneration and bulblet enlargement protocols. We analyzed the effects of various plant growth regulators and sucrose concentrations, alongside the expression of genes related to carbohydrate metabolism and hormone signaling. Results revealed divergent regenerative pathways: diploids favored direct organogenesis (optimal medium: MS + 30 g/L sucrose + 0.5 mg/L 6-BA + 0.2 mg/L NAA + 1.0 mg/L glyphosate), whereas tetraploids thrived via a TDZ-induced callus pathway (1/2 MS + 30 g/L sucrose + 1.0 mg/L NAA + 0.2 mg/L TDZ). During bulblet enlargement, diploids were predominantly regulated by IBA and prone to proliferation (optimal enlargement medium: MS + 60 g/L sucrose + 2.0 mg/L IBA), while tetraploids were sucrose-sensitive and prioritized single-bulb hypertrophy (MS + 60 g/L sucrose + 0.5 mg/L IBA + 0.1 mg/L 6-BA + 0.1 mg/L CPPU). qRT-PCR indicated that LlAGPS1, LlGBSSI, LlSWEET15, LlMYC2, and LlSAUR32 were highly expressed in tetraploids during rapid enlargement (24–36 d), suggesting a role in bulb hypertrophy, whereas upregulated LlSUS4 and LlCWIN3 in diploids correlated with proliferation. The study provides a practical technical reference for the industrialized propagation of high-quality L.longiflorum bulbs and provide a theoretical foundation for understanding ploidy-dependent development in Lilium. Full article

ERF/AP2 is a family of transcription factors that plays a broad role in plant growth and development and in responses to various environmental stresses. In our previous studies, we found that the transcription factor LoERF4 indirectly induces the breaking of dormancy in lily bulbs by regulating its downstream gene, LoXTH23. To further investigate the function of LoERF4, we overexpressed it in Arabidopsis thaliana. Paraffin section analysis revealed that root cells in OE-LoERF4 transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana lines exhibited significantly longer average cell lengths compared to the wild type. In the overexpression lines, the expression of multiple modified genes, including AtXTHs and AtEXPAs was significantly upregulated, and these lines exhibited earlier lateral root emergence and a significant increase in primary root length. Under 100 mM sodium chloride treatment, the overexpression lines exhibited significantly higher numbers of lateral roots, true leaves, and primary root length compared with the wild type (WT). In the OE-LoERF4 line, antioxidant enzyme (SOD, POD, CAT) activity was enhanced, oxidative damage was reduced (decreased MDA content), and root survival rate was improved (as reflected by TTC reduction). This confirms that LoERF4 may promote root development in the overexpression line by positively regulating downstream AtXTHs and AtEXPAs, while simultaneously enhancing the salt tolerance of the overexpression line. Full article