Search Results (2,250)

Coastal green tides may alter nearshore bioaerosols through coupled marine, atmospheric, and meteorological processes, yet their effects on airborne microbial communities remain poorly resolved. Atmospheric samples were collected in Aoshan Bay, Qingdao, China, during five phases of the Ulva prolifera green tide in 2019 (pre-bloom, 19 April; early bloom, 15 June; middle bloom, 15 July; late bloom, 6 August; post-bloom, 30 August); seawater samples were collected at one nearshore site on each of the five sampling dates, with microbial sequencing performed for the middle-bloom (15 July) and late-bloom (6 August) phases. Bacterial and fungal communities were characterized; although bioaerosols may also contain microalgae and viruses, this study profiled only the bacterial and fungal fractions, using bacterial 16S rRNA gene (V3-V4 region) and fungal internal transcribed spacer (ITS2) amplicon sequencing and evaluated together with meteorological variables, air-pollutant concentrations, and 72-h backward air-mass trajectories. Proteobacteria dominated the airborne bacterial assemblages (81.28–97.83%), with Sphingomonas as the most abundant genus (47.85–89.84%). Basidiomycota and Ascomycota dominated the fungal assemblages, whereas Cryptococcus and Alternaria were the major fungal genera. Community richness and composition varied across bloom phases. Chytridiomycota was undetected before the bloom (0%), appeared after bloom onset, and reached its highest relative abundance during the middle phase (8.19%). Spatial patterns indicated joint terrestrial and marine influences, although bacterial communities in seawater and air remained highly dissimilar. Temperature, relative humidity, particulate matter, ozone, and air-mass origin were associated with changes in microbial diversity and composition. These findings provide an observational baseline for coastal bioaerosol dynamics during a macroalgal green tide, extending the HAB–bioaerosol literature—which has focused predominantly on cyanobacterial blooms—to a large green macroalga. Bacteria and fungi showed contrasting environmental responses: bacterial richness increased with temperature, whereas fungal diversity declined. Greater compositional similarity between seawater and air for fungi than for bacteria suggests differential environmental filtering at the air–sea interface and implies that multiple source pathways—direct aerosolization, sea-surface release, and in-situ atmospheric production—may differentially shape the two domains. Given the single-date-per-phase sampling design, the absence of sequenced laboratory contamination controls, and the lack of absolute abundance data, these results should be regarded as preliminary and hypothesis-generating, underscoring the need for ASV-level source tracking, controlled chamber experiments, and replicated multi-year designs in future assessments of bloom–atmosphere interactions. Full article

Akerlof’s classical theory of the “Market for Lemons,” which conceptualizes adverse selection driven by information asymmetry, established the foundation of information economics. While the traditional model assumes static equilibria among a limited number of agents, analyzing its behavioral dynamics within large-scale, complex network environments remains a highly relevant task in computational social science. This study extends the classical lemon market model into a nonlinear dynamical system on adaptive networks. We mathematically elucidate macro-level social phase transitions—specifically structural exclusion such as scapegoating and collective ostracism—induced by computational cognitive limits, and evaluate optimal intervention strategies to mitigate these systemic failures. Multi-agent simulations utilizing large-scale tensor operations demonstrate that autonomous edge rewiring under incomplete information does not merely result in the uniform displacement of high-quality goods as predicted by static theory. Instead, the network self-organizes into an irreversible structural division: a core group of influential agents monopolizes high-quality information, while marginalized agents are isolated into a peripheral “lemon echo chamber” where only low-quality information circulates. To address this structural pathology under a resource constraint limiting intervention to 10% of the total agents, we evaluated two distinct approaches. The results indicate that providing informational support to influential hubs functions as a trap that exacerbates systemic inequality, superficially elevating the overall market evaluation but permanently fixing the exclusion gap. Conversely, the forced maintenance and protection of “weak ties” bridging disconnected clusters constitutes the mathematically optimal solution to dissolve fragmentation, effectively eliminating the price gap and facilitating social inclusion. Furthermore, this study demonstrates that the mechanism of social exclusion exhibits strong hysteresis effects. A distinct tipping point governs the progression toward a fragmented lemon echo chamber. Interventions implemented after crossing this critical threshold fail to restore the system to its baseline state despite identical resource expenditure, confirming the presence of an irreversible phase transition. These findings establish that the collapse dynamics outlined in the classical lemon market serve as a generalized model for explaining contemporary collective ostracism driven by information cascades. Consequently, the analysis highlights the necessity of early intervention prior to critical thresholds and the systemic preservation of structural bypasses rather than post-hoc remediation. Full article

The beneficiation of ferruginous manganese ores is limited by the intimate intergrowth of manganese-, iron-, and silicate-bearing phases. This study evaluated coal-based magnetizing roasting followed by dry magnetic separation in an externally heated chamber furnace with a charge capacity of up to 100 kg. A 0–5 mm ore fraction with an initial Mn/Fe ratio of 2.9 was roasted with Shubarkol coal. The best separation was obtained at an actual ore–coal bed temperature of 550–600 °C and an ore-to-coal mass ratio of 1:0.4. Relative to the magnetic-separation feed, 80.0–83.4% of Fe was recovered in the magnetic fraction, while 69.9–72.6% of Mn remained in the non-magnetic product. Its Fe content decreased to 3.2–3.5%, increasing the Mn/Fe ratio to 7.30–7.84. X-ray diffraction showed preferential concentration of magnetite and jacobsite in the magnetic fraction, whereas hausmannite and braunite were concentrated mainly in the non-magnetic fraction together with the gangue phases. Multipoint measurements also demonstrated a substantial difference between the combustion-zone and actual bed temperatures. The results demonstrate that controlled low-temperature roasting can generate sufficient magnetic contrast for selective iron removal from ferruginous manganese ore. Full article

Building Information Modeling (BIM)-enabled performance assessment workflows for rural constructions remain relatively unexplored. This is even more important for buildings implementing process-oriented systems, such as airflow networks. This study presents a BIM-integrated framework for the early-stage design and performance assessment of rural constructions, with application to solar barn dryers and their ventilation systems through reduced-order airflow-network modeling. The proposed workflow combines parametric BIM-based geometry generation with lumped-parameter fluid-dynamic modeling to evaluate the influence of airflow-network topology on pressure losses, airflow distribution, fan power demand, and energy consumption. Nine BIM-generated design alternatives and ten geometric parameter sets were investigated under equivalent operating conditions. The airflow system was represented as a pressure-driven network including solar air panels, ducts, collectors, fan chambers, ventilation channels, and drying cells, accounting for both localized and distributed pressure losses. Results show that airflow-network geometry significantly affects system performance. Configurations characterized by more compact and aerodynamically efficient layouts reduced cumulative pressure losses by approximately 10–20% compared with less optimized solutions. More efficient designs enable reductions in required airflow rates of ~22% and in fan power demand of up to ~40% (≈11–18 kW). The most efficient configurations also exhibited lower annual energy consumption while maintaining the minimum overpressure required for effective hay drying. The study demonstrates how BIM environments can support physics-informed comparative evaluation of alternative ventilation layouts during the early design stage, extending BIM applications toward performance-oriented design and digital management of agricultural building systems. The proposed methodology provides a computationally efficient design-support framework that may also apply to other controlled-environment agricultural infrastructures governed by airflow-network dynamics. Full article

This study investigates the effects of different graded crushing durations in a blade crusher on the crushing mechanics of wheat and the properties of the resulting flour. Mechanical models were established for blade–particle collisions, radial sliding of particles along the blade surface, and particle–chamber wall collisions. Under reasonable simplifying assumptions, the models analytically characterize the theoretical relationships of impact force and crushing energy with blade rotational speed, rotational radius, and particle incidence angle. The models were used to provide a qualitative mechanistic interpretation of the experimental trends rather than to quantitatively predict flour particle size distribution or damaged starch content. Two graded crushing processes were evaluated, with crushing durations of 10 s per pass (F10) and 15 s per pass (F15). Observation of particle-size evolution during the crushing of wheat particles showed that as the number of crushing passes increased, the proportion of coarse particles continuously decreased, the proportion of fine particles gradually increased, and the proportion of intermediate-sized particles initially increased and then decreased, demonstrating a progressive coarse-to-fine fragmentation pattern. Particle size analysis of the resulting wheat flour showed that the particle size distribution for the F15 process peaked below 5 μm and shifted toward smaller particle sizes relative to that for the F10 process. Nevertheless, the wheat flour obtained from both processes exhibited relatively concentrated particle size distributions, with Span values ranging from 2.46 to 2.68. Damaged starch content increased significantly with the number of crushing passes and was generally higher for the F15 process than for the F10 process. Moisture content decreased from 14.30% to 12.86% under the F10 process and from 14.25% to 12.73% under the F15 process, whereas ash content ultimately increased to 0.48% under both processes. Protein content initially increased and subsequently decreased under both processes. These findings provide experimental evidence for the effects of graded milling on grain refinement, starch damage, and physicochemical composition of wheat flour. Full article

Pilot-scale validation of controlled CO₂ curing for reinforced concrete members remains limited. This study developed a 2400 L high-temperature CO₂ curing chamber integrating control of temperature, relative humidity (RH), CO₂ concentration, and pressure with real-time monitoring and automated CO₂ regulation. Its applicability was evaluated using commercial concrete bricks and a reinforced concrete slab through mass monitoring, compressive strength testing, phenolphthalein-based carbonation assessment, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), flexural testing, and carbonation depth measurement. Real-time mass monitoring showed a net mass gain of 50.7 g after 1 h, corresponding to 2.8% of the initial mass. The CO₂-cured bricks achieved a compressive strength of 9.77 MPa, with a calculated CO₂ uptake of 5.72% based on TGA. The CO₂-cured slab exhibited a compressive strength of 41.9 MPa, comparable flexural load capacity to the steam-cured slab, and a higher ductility index of 6.86. Carbonation remained within the concrete cover without reaching the reinforcement. Within the scope of the investigated materials and curing conditions, these results demonstrate the pilot-scale feasibility of controlled CO₂ curing for commercial concrete products and reinforced concrete members and provide a basis for further member-scale validation and process optimization. Full article

Background/Objectives: Accurate verification of single-isocenter multiple-target (SIMT) stereotactic radiosurgery is challenging owing to the complexity of multi-lesion delivery and the sensitivity of stereotactic dose gradients. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of electronic portal imaging device (EPID)-based multileaf collimator (MLC) transmission and dosimetric leaf gap (DLG) correction for improving portal-dose prediction agreement in SIMT stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) and to propose an exploratory target count-based institutional action level. Methods: This retrospective analysis included 112 consecutive patients treated with HyperArc™-based SRS (1–13 targets). Treatment plans were calculated using the Acuros XB algorithm for 6 MV flattening filter-free (FFF) beams. Two sets of MLC parameters were compared for portal-dose image prediction (PDIP): (1) standard parameters measured using an ion chamber; (2) EPID-derived corrected parameters. Portal-dose accuracy was evaluated using gamma index analysis with a 95% pass rate threshold. Results: The uncorrected method showed a strong negative correlation between target number and gamma passing rates, with complex plans (≥9 targets) dropping as low as 70%. EPID-based correction substantially improved dose agreement, yielding consistent passing rates above 98%, regardless of target number. Although uncorrected parameters remained within tolerance for plans with one to two targets, accuracy declined markedly starting at three targets. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that the EPID-based correction of MLC transmission and DLG mitigated cumulative modeling discrepancies in complex SIMT SRS. Thus, we propose the exploratory institutional observation of three targets, beyond which EPID-based correction may be considered to achieve optimal portal-dose prediction agreement in HyperArc-based stereotactic radiosurgery. Full article

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) represents an increasingly prevalent clinical syndrome, driven by population ageing and the growing burden of cardiometabolic comorbidities, and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Due to its heterogeneous pathophysiology and the frequent absence of overt structural abnormalities, early diagnosis and accurate risk stratification remain challenging. In the current era of emerging disease-modifying therapies, the identification of sensitive imaging markers able to detect early myocardial dysfunction and refine patient characterization has become increasingly important. Speckle-tracking echocardiography has emerged as a valuable tool for the comprehensive evaluation of HFpEF, allowing the assessment of subclinical myocardial impairment beyond conventional parameters. Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (LV-GLS) identifies subtle systolic dysfunction despite preserved left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and provides incremental diagnostic and prognostic information. Accordingly, LV-GLS has been incorporated into contemporary diagnostic algorithms and may represent a promising marker for monitoring disease progression and therapeutic response. Beyond the left ventricle (LV), left atrial (LA) strain has gained increasing relevance as a marker of atrial myopathy and elevated filling pressures. Left atrial reservoir strain (LARS) detects early atrial dysfunction before overt structural remodelling, improves the identification of HFpEF in patients with unexplained dyspnoea, and provides additional prognostic information, including prediction of atrial fibrillation and thromboembolic risk. Moreover, right ventricular free-wall longitudinal strain (RV-FWLS) allows early recognition of right ventricular involvement and has shown important prognostic implications, particularly in relation to pulmonary vascular dysfunction and exercise intolerance. Overall, a multi-chamber strain-based approach may improve HFpEF diagnosis, phenotyping, and risk stratification, supporting a transition toward a more personalized management strategy. Further prospective studies are needed to define the role of strain imaging in guiding therapeutic decisions and monitoring treatment response. Full article

High-sensitivity detection of metal contaminants during gas-insulated equipment (GIE) manufacturing is crucial to mitigating insulation risks. In this study, detection tests of metal contaminants are performed using the conventional partial discharge measurement (CPDM), UHF, and photon counting (PC) methods on a 252 kV GIS chamber. The results indicate that the PC method exhibits high sensitivity to micrometer-sized metal dust, while the UHF sensor performs better in detecting the millimeter-sized single wire-shaped particle. The CPDM method has no sensitivity advantage in either of the above cases. For sub-millimeter-sized block contaminants, all three methods exhibit comparable sensitivity. Moreover, a comprehensive statistical index is introduced to evaluate the discharge activity of different metal defects, enabling a more robust quantitative comparison. Full article

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) provide a membrane-based bioelectrochemical route for simultaneous wastewater treatment and electricity generation. This study investigates the effect of aeration and mixing on the performance of dual-chamber microbial fuel cells (DCMFCs) operated outdoors using sugar-mix substrates. Five DCMFC configurations were evaluated over 40 days, including baseline operation and individual or combined aeration and mixing strategies. Voltage and current were recorded every 15 min, while solar insolation and ambient temperature were monitored to assess environmental effects. Chemical oxygen demand (COD) was measured to evaluate wastewater treatment performance. The configuration with continuous aeration and mixing achieved the best performance, reaching a maximum voltage of 563.2 mV and a peak power output of 250.58 µW. Compared with baseline Cell 1, Cell 5 showed a 72.5% higher Week 6 maximum power density. The final COD concentration in Cell 5 was 12.4% lower than that measured in baseline Cell 1; this represents an endpoint difference rather than a reactor-specific COD removal efficiency. Exploratory correlation analysis showed configuration-dependent associations between electrical output and ambient conditions but did not identify a consistent positive relationship between solar insolation and power generation. These results demonstrate that combined aeration and mixing can improve DCMFC performance under realistic outdoor conditions and support the development of scalable, low-resource systems for decentralized bioenergy generation and wastewater treatment. Full article

Indoor air pollution caused by volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is a major environmental and public health concern. Ethanol is a common indoor VOC released from cleaning products, disinfectants, and industrial activities. This study evaluated the capacity of Ficus elastica Roxb. to remove airborne ethanol under controlled chamber conditions. Response Surface Methodology was applied to optimise the effects of initial ethanol concentration, relative humidity, and exposure time on removal efficiency. The model predicted a maximum removal efficiency of 97.16%, which was experimentally validated with an average efficiency of 96.2%, confirming the model’s reliability. Analysis of variance identified exposure time as the most influential factor affecting ethanol removal. Desorption experiments showed only limited and transient ethanol re-emission, indicating that ethanol was not merely adsorbed but also partially metabolised by the plant. Scanning electron microscopy revealed structural changes in stomatal morphology after prolonged exposure. Biochemical analyses demonstrated increased total phenolic content, flavonoid content, and antioxidant capacity, whereas a moderate decline in total chlorophyll reflected physiological stress accompanied by enhanced defence responses, indicating adaptive tolerance to prolonged ethanol exposure. These findings demonstrate the potential of F. elastica as an effective and sustainable botanical biofiltration system for improving indoor air quality. Full article

Feed efficiency classification based on residual feed intake (RFI) and residual intake and gain (RIG) is widely used to identify biologically efficient animals, yet it remains unclear whether this classification reflects consistent differences in digestive, fermentative, and metabolic processes. This study evaluated the effects of RFI and RIG classification on nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, ruminal fermentation, nitrogen metabolism, microbial protein synthesis, and gaseous emissions in confined lambs. Thirty-eight weaned Texel ewe lambs underwent a 60-day performance test using an automated feed intake system and were classified as high-efficiency, neutral, or low-efficiency based on both indices. Animals were individually housed in respirometric chambers where emissions of methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, and ammonia were assessed by cavity ring-down spectroscopy; apparent digestibility was determined from total collections of feed, orts, faeces, and urine; microbial protein synthesis was estimated from urinary purine derivatives; and ruminal short-chain fatty acid profiles were determined by gas chromatography. Feed efficiency classification did not significantly affect body weight, nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, ruminal fermentation parameters, nitrogen balance, microbial protein synthesis, or greenhouse gas emissions. Principal component analysis revealed two major biological gradients related to nutrient intake and utilisation (42.9%) and ruminal fermentation and gaseous emissions (23.3%), together explaining 66.2% of total variance, but showing no clear separation among efficiency groups. These findings indicate that the digestive, fermentative, and nitrogen metabolism variables evaluated in this study did not account for the observed variation in feed efficiency. Because the regression underlying RIG explained little additional variation (R² = 0.01), these conclusions primarily reflect feed efficiency as classified by RFI, suggesting that other physiological mechanisms may play a more important role in determining feed efficiency in confined Texel ewe lambs. Full article

Halotolerant plant growth-promoting bacteria offer a sustainable strategy to improve crop performance under saline conditions. This study evaluated Agave tequilana Weber var. Azul leaf juice was used as an alternative growth medium for Kocuria sediminis AS04, and the bacterium’s ability to alleviate salt stress in chiltepin (Capsicum annuum) was evaluated. The chiltepin seedlings were grown in a specialized chamber and exposed to higher salt levels (200, 400, and 600 mM NaCl) for 10 days. During this time, the protective effect of K. sediminis AS04, which was held in a polymer film, was examined. K. sediminis AS04 grew well in a medium containing 25% agave juice and urea, reaching a density of 1.3 × 10¹⁰ CFU mL⁻¹. Compared with conventional Tryptic Soy Broth, the medium formulated from agave leaf juice and urea could reduce the cost per kilogram of biomass by approximately 4-fold. Under severe salinity stress, plants inoculated with immobilized K. sediminis at 600 mM NaCl exhibited the highest shoot biomass (0.31 g⁻¹ plant), root length (50.7 mm), and proline accumulation (11.25 µmol g⁻¹ fresh weight), whereas uninoculated plants displayed reduced biomass (0.16 g plant⁻¹) and shorter roots (34.5 mm). At 600 mM NaCl, inoculation increased shoot biomass, root length, and plant survival by approximately 94%, 47%, and 200%, respectively, compared with uninoculated seedlings. This method values agro-industrial waste and enhances chiltepin performance under high-salinity conditions. It promotes sustainable production and helps create affordable inoculants for agricultural biotechnology. Full article

Oxygen management during alcoholic fermentation can redirect phenolic reactions and yeast-derived aroma formation, but the use of mild hyperbaric conditions as a micro-oxygenation strategy remains poorly characterized. This study evaluated the effects of hyperbaric micro-oxygenation at 1.40 ATA in a stainless-steel chamber on the fermentation of Vitis vinifera L. cv. Monastrell must, comparing treated and non-micro-oxygenated samples at the initial, mid-fermentation, and final stages. Physicochemical parameters, CIELAB color coordinates, total phenolic content, volatile organic compounds, and descriptive sensory attributes were analyzed. Hyperbaric micro-oxygenation did not impair fermentation completion, as both treatments reached final residual sugar values of 2.2 g/L and alcohol contents of 15.2–15.4% v/v. The treatment promoted a darker final chromatic profile, with lower L*, the highest overall color difference, and a marked increase in total phenolic content, reaching 1900.9 mg gallic acid equivalents/L compared with 1593.2 mg gallic acid equivalents/L in control. Volatile changes were compound, and stage-dependent, indicating modulation rather than generalized enhancement of aroma formation. Ethyl esters, particularly ethyl octanoate and ethyl decanoate, increased markedly under micro-oxygenation, while acetate esters such as ethyl acetate and hexyl acetate decreased relative to the initial must, reflecting a shift in the balance of aroma-active compounds rather than a uniform increase across all volatile families. These findings support mild hyperbaric micro-oxygenation as a promising non-thermal strategy to modulate Monastrell fermentation quality. Full article

The intensification of poultry production, associated with climate change, has increased the occurrence of heat stress, compromising animal welfare and productive efficiency. Despite recent advances, studies quantifying heat exchange in quail under different environmental and dietary conditions from an integrated bioenergetic perspective remain scarce, particularly regarding the shift between sensible and latent heat dissipation mechanisms. In this context, this study aimed to quantify and model sensible and latent heat exchange, together with associated physiological responses, in Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica) subjected to different air temperatures and dietary inclusion levels of the macroalga Gracilaria birdiae. A total of 864 quail were distributed in a completely randomized design, arranged in a 4 × 3 factorial design with four macroalgae inclusion levels (0.00, 3.00, 6.00, and 9.00%) and three air temperature levels (25.00, 29.00, and 33.00 °C), and maintained in climate-controlled chambers. Heat exchange was estimated using biophysical models integrating convective, radiative, and evaporative heat fluxes. Increasing air temperature reduced sensible heat exchange and intensified latent heat losses (p < 0.0001). During the growing phase, approximately 73.18% of sensible heat exchange was dissipated through radiation. In the laying phase, reductions of up to 59.96% in sensible heat exchange were observed, along with increases exceeding 50.00% in latent heat losses and reductions of up to 26.00% in total heat exchange. Increasing air temperature promoted higher respiratory rate (p < 0.0001), whereas surface and cloacal temperatures remained within the physiological range required to maintain homeothermy. Dietary inclusion of up to 9.00% G. birdiae exerted only limited effects on the quantified heat exchange pathways and did not impair physiological thermoregulation under the experimental conditions evaluated. No significant interaction between air temperature and dietary supplementation was observed for the heat exchange variables (p > 0.05). These findings show that heat stress was the primary determinant of bioenergetic heat exchange, whereas dietary supplementation with G. birdiae exerted only limited effects. Full article