Saved Queries

by Penglong Ding, Silu Zheng, Jiahe Zhou, Xiatao Tang, Huina Shan, Chuanyang Lu, Wenjian Zheng, Xuhui Gong, Jiajia Niu and Lianyong Xu

Materials 2026, 19(9), 1696; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19091696 (registering DOI) - 23 Apr 2026

Abstract

Residual stress is an inherent consequence of the welding process and can significantly compromise the structural integrity of welded components. To clarify the high-temperature creep damage evolution of the 600 MPa-grade ship hull structural steel base metal, high-temperature creep tests were conducted, aiming to improve the understanding of its deformation behavior and to support reliable numerical predictions. The experimentally calibrated creep constitutive model was subsequently integrated into finite element simulations to analyze the residual stress evolution in welded joints and to quantitatively evaluate the effects of post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) and hammer peening. The results indicted that, within 450–550 °C, creep deformation of the steel was dominated by dislocation glide and climb, while creep damage was mainly associated with void and crack formation. The simulation results revealed that residual stresses were predominantly concentrated in the weld metal and the heat-affected zone, with the peak von Mises stress in the as-welded joint reaching 686.5 MPa, exceeding the material’s yield strength at the simulated temperature. PWHT exhibited superior stress-relief effectiveness compared with hammer peening, markedly reducing the peak residual stress. Moreover, the stress-relief behavior showed a nonlinear dependence on both holding time and heat-treatment temperature. In contrast, hammer peening produced a localized stress-relief effect, confined primarily to the mechanically impacted region. These findings provided a theoretical foundation for optimizing post-weld treatment strategies to mitigate residual stress in the high strength steel welded joints. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Metals and Alloys)

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24 pages, 1107 KB

Open AccessArticle

Islamic Parenting Style: Scale Development and Validation Based on Qur’an and Hadith

by Maryam Noor, Muhammad Jahanzeb Khan, Abidullah Khan, Irum Saba and Hend Faye AL-shahrani

Religions 2026, 17(5), 511; https://doi.org/10.3390/rel17050511 (registering DOI) - 23 Apr 2026

Abstract

This study aims to develop a scale to measure Islamic parenting practices grounded in Hadith and Qur’anic teachings. The Islamic Parenting Style Scale (IPSS) was created using experimentally derived items rated on a 5-point Likert scale. Data were collected from 818 parents aged 30 to 65 from both rural and urban districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Exploratory factor analysis examined the scale’s factor structure and validity. The results identified three factors in the IPSS: the Compassionate, Guidance/Supervision, and Cognitive/Reflective domains. The scale also demonstrated strong internal consistency, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.92 and a composite reliability (CR) above 0.07 for all three factors. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three-factor model with good fit indices. Overall, these findings suggest that the Islamic Parenting Style Scale is a valid and reliable tool for assessing Islamic parenting styles among parents. This research significantly enhances the understanding of parenting practices rooted in Islamic principles. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Religion, Spirituality, Well-Being and Positive Psychology)

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22 pages, 3855 KB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Improved Genetic Algorithm Based on Voronoi Partitioning in Pseudolite Deployment for Tunnel Positioning Systems

by Kun Xie, Chenglin Cai, Zhouwang Yang and Jundao Pan

Sensors 2026, 26(9), 2596; https://doi.org/10.3390/s26092596 (registering DOI) - 23 Apr 2026

Abstract

Reliable high-precision positioning in railway tunnels is essential for intelligent train operation and safety monitoring, yet GNSS signals are severely degraded by blockage and multipath. This paper proposes a deployment-oriented numerical framework to optimize pseudolite layouts in tunnels by explicitly modeling visibility obstruction and controlling worst-case geometry along the train trajectory. A high-fidelity 3D tunnel–train model is established, in which line-of-sight (LoS) availability is screened under vehicle occlusion and trajectory-level geometric quality is evaluated accordingly. Instead of optimizing only the average PDOP, the proposed framework minimizes the trajectory 90th-percentile PDOP (qPDOP) to suppress tail-risk geometric degradation, while interpreting PDOP as an error amplification factor that directly affects positioning reliability under measurement noise and local multipath. The core contribution is a Voronoi-partition-constrained improved genetic algorithm (IGA) for tunnel pseudolite deployment. Voronoi partitioning enforces segment-wise coverage by requiring at least one pseudolite in each partition cell and avoids clustering-induced blind zones. Meanwhile, the IGA incorporates improved search and constraint-handling mechanisms to satisfy practical engineering requirements, including feasible installation regions, minimum spacing, mounting-face balance (ceiling/side walls), communication range, and continuous satellite visibility. Comparative simulations and ablation studies demonstrate that the proposed method achieves more uniform coverage and significantly improves full-trajectory geometric stability, reducing high-quantile PDOP and mitigating local spikes in occlusion-sensitive sections under cost-constrained sparse deployments. The proposed framework provides a practical and flexible toolchain for designing positioning-oriented pseudolite infrastructures in underground transportation environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Navigation and Positioning)

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16 pages, 1410 KB

Open AccessReview

Exosomes and Small Extracellular Vesicles as an Alternative to Mesenchymal Stromal Cell Therapy in Knee Osteoarthritis: From Biological Rationale to Clinical Evidence

by Mahdi Al-Jeabory, Jaroslaw Pecold, Maciej Maslyk, Michal Pruc, Karolina Gromek, Robert Weglowski and Lukasz Szarpak

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(9), 3737; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27093737 (registering DOI) - 23 Apr 2026

Abstract

Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a leading cause of pain and disability worldwide, and current treatments remain largely symptomatic, with no disease-modifying therapy established for routine use. This narrative review evaluates extracellular vesicles (EVs) as biological nanocarriers and a cell-free alternative to mesenchymal stromal cell therapy for KOA by examining the biological rationale, preclinical evidence, clinical studies, and current methodological and regulatory requirements. Preclinical findings indicate that EVs may exert immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and chondroprotective effects, supporting their potential to influence joint homeostasis. The review also summarizes current recommendations for EV nomenclature, characterization, and quality control in accordance with the Minimal Information for Studies of EVs 2023 guidelines and highlights key translational challenges, including scalable manufacturing, potency assessment, and regulatory compliance. Clinical evidence to date suggests a favorable safety profile, but efficacy data remain limited and inconsistent; a randomized placebo-controlled trial showed no superiority over placebo, whereas small early human studies suggested possible benefit in selected cases. Overall, EVs represent a promising cell-free strategy for KOA, but current evidence is insufficient to support routine clinical use, emphasizing the need for standardized production, validated potency assays, and robust randomized clinical trials. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Osteoarthritis: From Pathophysiology to Novel Therapy)

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14 pages, 287 KB

Open AccessArticle

Time Is Change

by Daniel Deasy

Philosophies 2026, 11(3), 67; https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies11030067 (registering DOI) - 23 Apr 2026

Abstract

What is time? In this paper, I defend the view that time is change. In Section 1, I introduce the view that time is change and contrast it with an alternative view. In Section 2, I draw on recent developments in higher-order metaphysics to defend a particular theory of change, and therefore, of time. Finally, in Section 3, I respond to several objections to the view that time is change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Debating Temporal Ontology: The Existence of Yesterday and Tomorrow)

24 pages, 5148 KB

Open AccessArticle

Plant-Leaf Disease Detection Based on Texture Enhancement Using ATD-Net

by Yuheng Li and Xiafen Zhang

AgriEngineering 2026, 8(5), 160; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriengineering8050160 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

Early plant leaf disease detection and timely control is important for agricultural yield and stability. Yet, it is difficult for manual labor to monitor the health of the plant leaf 24 h a day. Existing detection approach cannot meet the demands of texture enhancement features. Therefore, this paper proposes a new detection approach which undergoes three-layer transformations: convolutional layer, attention mechanism layer and loss function layer. Firstly, ADown is used to extract fine-grained texture features from suspected leaves to reduce computational load. Secondly, Gabor texture enhancement is proposed to extract and enhance the contour and the directional texture of suspected areas using multi-directional filtering, followed by a combination Transformer to enhance the global context modeling capability. Thirdly, a dynamic boundary loss function (DBL) is employed to dynamically adjust the probability distribution of bounding box regression through adaptive temperature coefficient and information entropy, thereby improving the positioning accuracy of the detection box. The experiments show that ATD-Net achieved an average accuracy of 87.42% (mAP50) and an accuracy of 85.96%, with a computational complexity of 6.5 GFLOPs. The visualization results and ablation experiments show that the collaborative work of the proposed modules significantly improves the detection robustness in complex backgrounds, early diseases, and small target scenes. Compared to the original model, ATD-Net achieves a performance improvement of 1.1% at mAP50 and a speed increase of 17.7%. The model size remains almost unchanged, at 5.2 MB. It is an efficient and promising solution for future real-time disease recognition in complex agricultural environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Computer Applications and Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture)

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16 pages, 288 KB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of Natural Heat Stress on Pregnant Rabbits: Behavioral, Physiological, and Reproductive Changes and the Ameliorative Role of Curcumin and Vitamin D₃

by Mahmoud Roshdy, Hassan A. Khalil, Doaa E. Saad, Mahmoud Kamal, Mostafa A. Ayoub, Yasser Alrauji and Mohamed Shehab-El-Deen

Vet. Sci. 2026, 13(5), 412; https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13050412 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

This study evaluated the effects of heat stress on productive performance, physiology, reproduction, and oxidative status in pregnant New Zealand White (NZW) rabbit does, as well as the potential synergistic effects of curcumin and vitamin D3 (Cur + VD₃) supplementation in alleviating these stress-induced impairments. Eighty multiparous does (12–18 months old) were assigned to a 2 × 2 factorial design involving two ambient temperatures (indoor vs. outdoor) and two supplementation levels (with or without Cur + VD₃). Outdoor does experienced severe heat stress (THI = 33.22) compared to indoor thermal comfort conditions (THI = 25.13). The supplement (Cur + VD₃) was administered orally at 1 mL/kg body weight. Heat stress significantly decreased body weight, milk yield, litter size, weight at weaning, and behavioral activity. Conversely, rectal temperature, respiration rate, and mortality increased. Supplementation with Cur + VD₃ showed improved body weight, reproductive parameters, milk yield, and behavior, while reducing mortality (0% vs. 5%) compared to treatment without these additives. Physiologically, Cur + VD₃ lowered rectal temperature and respiration rate. In conclusion, combined curcumin and vitamin D₃ supplementation is an effective nutritional strategy to improve heat stress tolerance and maintain productivity in pregnant rabbits exposed to high ambient temperatures. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Environmental Impact on the Reproductive Parameters of Domestic Animals—2nd Edition)

18 pages, 271 KB

Open AccessArticle

Post-Migration Dietary and Lifestyle Transitions and Chronic Disease Risk Among African Migrants in Australia: A Case of Nigerian Migrants

by Kingsley Arua Kalu, Muideen Olaiya, Nse Odunaiya and Blessing Jaka Akombi-Inyang

Nutrients 2026, 18(9), 1327; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18091327 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

Background: Migration from low- and middle-income to high-income settings is often accompanied by dietary and lifestyle changes that may increase long-term risk of non-communicable diseases. African migrants represent a growing but under-studied population in Australia, with limited evidence on post-migration nutrition transitions and associated chronic disease risk. This study examined changes in diet and lifestyle among Nigerian-born adults before and after migration to Australia and explored any association with chronic diseases. Methods: A pilot cross-sectional study was conducted among adults who migrated from Nigeria to New South Wales, Australia, between 1992 and 2019. Data were collected via a culturally adapted, self-administered online questionnaire assessing socio-demographic characteristics, dietary intake, lifestyle behaviours, and self-reported chronic conditions in the 12 months immediately before and after migration. Descriptive statistics (frequencies and proportions) and inferential analyses (Chi-square tests, McNemar test, and the Bowker test) were used to compare pre- and post-migration behaviours and examine associations with chronic disease outcomes. Results: Ninety-three participants completed the survey (mean age 37.0 ± 7.2 years; 50.5% male). Post-migration, regular breakfast consumption declined (−24.3%), while irregular eating (low and moderate) patterns increased (+7.6% and +16.7%). Regular vegetable intake improved (+5.4%), whereas fruit intake remained low (13.0%). Regular consumption of Nigerian local foods decreased markedly (−53.7%), while regular intake of meat (+18.5%), dairy foods, fats (+14.3%), and non-alcoholic beverages increased (+22.8%). Salt use shifted away from the highest-risk category (−22.2%), and smoking and alcohol consumption remained low and stable. Self-reported chronic conditions were uncommon; hypertension (6.5%) and obesity (5.4%) were the most frequently reported. Conclusions: Nigerian migrants in Australia experience substantial post-migration dietary and lifestyle transitions that may elevate long-term chronic disease risk despite a currently low reported disease burden. Early, culturally responsive nutrition and lifestyle interventions are needed to support healthy adaptation and prevent the progression of cardiometabolic conditions in this growing migrant population. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Nutrition and Public Health)

14 pages, 1011 KB

Open AccessArticle

FLIM Reveals Red Light-Induced Changes in Murine Hair Follicles

by Shanjie Xu, Aoshan Wang, Yuxuan Lin, Qichang Lai, Guangchao Xu, Chunhua Peng, Xiao Peng, Wei Yan and Junle Qu

Biosensors 2026, 16(5), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/bios16050232 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

Hair loss, particularly androgenetic alopecia (AGA) and alopecia areata (AA), is a prevalent condition with widespread psychosocial impact. Recently, low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has emerged as a promising non-invasive therapeutic alternative due to its bioregulatory effects and favorable safety profile compared to conventional pharmacological treatments. In this study, we employed fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to investigate the effects of red-light irradiation on hair follicle dynamics and the cutaneous microenvironment in a C57BL/6 mouse model. A hair regeneration model was established to evaluate the efficacy of 650 nm red-light irradiation (bandwidth ± 20 nm). Then, the skin tissue was stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and followed by FLIM analysis to provide a multidimensional assessment of tissue morphology and metabolic status. Results showed that red-light irradiation significantly increased hair follicle numbers and enhanced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels in the skin tissue. FLIM analysis further revealed prolonged fluorescence lifetime values across different epidermal and dermal layers in the irradiated group, indicating significant alterations in the skin metabolic microenvironment. Furthermore, phasor plot analysis enabled precise differentiation between hair follicles and their surrounding skin structures, highlighting FLIM’s high sensitivity and accuracy in evaluating hair growth. In conclusion, this study has provided novel imaging-based insights into the mechanisms of LLLT-induced hair regeneration, highlighting the potential of FLIM as a powerful tool for characterizing the cutaneous microenvironment and quantitatively evaluating phototherapeutic efficacy in future translational applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Optical Imaging Biosensors: Technologies and Biomedical Applications)

13 pages, 1161 KB

Open AccessArticle

A Quantitative Trait Nucleotide-Based Genomic Selection Strategy for Seed Oil and Protein Content in Soybean

by Guang Li, Huangkai Zhou, Javaid Akhter Bhat, Kuanqiang Tang, Jiantian Leng, Xianzhong Feng, Xiangfeng Wang and Suxin Yang

Plants 2026, 15(9), 1296; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15091296 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

In recent years, genomic selection (GS) has been widely adopted in plant breeding; however, its practical application is constrained by the high cost of genotyping large segregating populations. To address this issue, this study employed a Quantitative Trait Nucleotide (QTN)-assisted GS strategy to evaluate its efficiency in reducing genotyping costs for soybean seed oil content (OC) and protein content (PC). Based on six multi-parent F₄ populations (n = 4404) derived from seven elite soybean cultivars, which were genotyped using a 20K SNP chip, we identified 83 and 110 QTNs that were significantly associated with OC and PC, respectively. Among these loci, 37 and 62 QTNs were specific to OC and PC, respectively. Genomic prediction accuracies were evaluated across different training population (TP) sizes using three marker panels: genome-wide SNPs, all detected QTNs, and trait-specific QTNs. The panel consisting of all detected QTNs exhibited significantly higher prediction accuracy than the other two panels, except for PC when using 90% of the population as the training set. Phenotypic verification of the selected individuals showed that the PC-specific QTN panel yielded higher PC values and increased OC + PC values compared with the other marker panels. These results demonstrate that a small set of QTNs provides a cost-effective approach for genomic selection in practical soybean breeding programs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic Improvement of Oilseed Crops)

20 pages, 3437 KB

Open AccessArticle

Deep Reinforcement Learning-Guided Bio-Inspired Active Flow Control of a Flapping-Wing Drone for Real-Time Disturbance Suppression

by Saddam Hussain, Mohammed Messaoudi, Nouman Abbasi and Dajun Xu

Actuators 2026, 15(5), 231; https://doi.org/10.3390/act15050231 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

Flapping-wing drones (FWDs), owing to their compact size and operation in cluttered and unsteady airflow environments, encounter significant aerodynamic and stability challenges. Studies of avian flight reveal that falcons and other raptors actively deflect their covert feathers to mitigate gusts and maintain stable flight. Drawing inspiration from this mechanism, this study presents a peregrine falcon-inspired Active Flow Control Unit (AFCU) integrated with a Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG)-based deep reinforcement learning (DRL) controller for real-time disturbance attenuation. The AFCU employs mechanical covert feathers (MCFs) that actuate to dissipate gust loads during high wind conditions. A reduced-order bond graph model that encapsulates the nonlinear interaction between the primary wing and the feather-based active flow control surfaces is created which is used as a dynamic training environment for the DDPG agent. Utilizing closed-loop interactions, the successfully obtained learned policy produces optimal actuator forces to reduce feather-displacement error and aerodynamic load variations. The designed controller stabilizes the internally unstable open-loop AFCU, attaining near-zero steady-state error and settling times under 1.6 s for gust magnitudes ranging from 12.5 to 20 m/s. Simulations further illustrate a reduction of up to 50% in gust-induced loads compared to traditional approaches. This integration of bio-inspired design with learning-based active flow control offers a viable avenue for the development of highly adaptive and gust-resilient flapping-wing aerial systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Active Flow Control: Recent Advances in Fundamentals and Applications—3rd Edition)

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18 pages, 558 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Allium fistulosum L. (Green Onion) Root and Avena sativa L. (Oat) Mixtures (WCO31) on the Height of Children: A Multi-Center, Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial

by You-Jin Kim, Do-Yeon Kim, Seong-In Cheong, Hye Jeong Yang, Min Jung Kim, Hyun-Jun Jang, Myung-Sunny Kim, Dai Ja Jang, Nu-Ri Ha, Seul-Ki Kim, Min-Hwan Bae, Jong-Cheon Joo and Soo-Jung Park

Nutrients 2026, 18(9), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18091326 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Following prior in vitro and in vivo investigations on the bone health benefits of green onions and oats, we aimed to assess the effects of WCO31, Allium fistulosum L. (green onion) root and Avena sativa L. (oat) mixtures, on height growth and safety. Methods: This multi-center, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included 150 children aged 6–8 years (75 males and 75 females) who fell between the 3rd and 50th percentiles of the Korean National Growth Charts but had not yet developed secondary sexual characteristics. They were randomly assigned to receive daily oral administration of WCO31 (1.2 g/day) or a placebo for 24 weeks. For efficacy analysis, height, growth rate, growth rate standard deviation score (SDS), height SDS, and growth-related parameters were measured. To evaluate the safety of the intervention, several safety parameters (including the incidence of adverse events, laboratory tests, and vital signs) were monitored. Results: The WCO31 group demonstrated significantly superior outcomes, including height, growth rate, growth rate SDS, height SDS, and height-for-age Z-score, than the placebo group (all p < 0.001). Moreover, no safety-related concerns were identified. Conclusions: WCO31 positively influences height growth and demonstrates a favorable safety profile, with no observable adverse effects. This study provides the first clinical evidence supporting growth enhancement using natural extracts, suggesting that WCO31 could serve as a cost-effective, safe, and accessible complementary strategy for promoting child growth. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Pediatric Nutrition)

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30 pages, 18533 KB

Open AccessArticle

Distance Velocity Fusion Algorithm Based on Sequential Monte Carlo Probability Hypothesis Density Filter in Low-to-No Power Scenario

by Wei Chen, Fei Teng, Hu Jin, Yingke Lei, Feng Qian and Mengbo Zhang

Electronics 2026, 15(9), 1787; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15091787 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

In the context of an increasingly chaotic electromagnetic environment, the problem of multisensor data fusion for tracking airborne maneuvering targets has garnered significant attention and applications. In low-to-no power scenarios, certain sensors exhibit measurement inaccuracies, and the disparity in measurement precision among networked sensors leads to data inequality. This results in poor fusion accuracy in the multisensor fusion process, particularly when prior weights are unknown. To address the aforementioned problems, this study first redefines the motion model of airborne maneuvering targets by capturing the complexity of the trajectory of the target. Subsequently, a modeling framework for low-to-no power scenarios is established using a one-transmitter three-receiver radar system. In this model, the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of the two sensors was intentionally reduced to simulate data inequality. Finally, a distance velocity (DV) fusion algorithm was designed based on the Sequential Monte Carlo Probability Hypothesis Density (SMC-PHD) algorithm. Specifically, after the state extraction step of the SMC-PHD filter algorithm, the final estimated target was obtained in two steps: judgment and weighted summation. The simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm in improving fusion accuracy and robustness in dynamic environments and under real electromagnetic interference. Full article

18 pages, 880 KB

Open AccessArticle

Comparative Evaluation of Five Multimodal Large Language Models for Medical Laboratory Image Recognition: Impact of Prompting Strategies on Diagnostic Accuracy

by Hui-Ru Yang, Kuei-Ying Lin, Ping-Chang Lin, Jih-Jin Tsai and Po-Chih Chen

Diagnostics 2026, 16(9), 1258; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16091258 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

Background: Multimodal large language models (MLLMs) show promise in medical imaging, but their performance is highly dependent on prompt engineering. This study systematically evaluates how different prompting strategies affect diagnostic accuracy in clinical laboratory image interpretation. Methods: We evaluated five MLLMs (ChatGPT-4o, Gemini 2.0 Flash, Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Grok-2, and Perplexity Pro (Claude 3.5 Sonnet)) using 177 proficiency testing images across three domains: blood smears (n = 78), urinalysis (n = 50), and parasitology (n = 49). Three prompting approaches were compared: (1) complex multi-choice prompts with 20 diagnostic options, (2) zero-shot open-ended prompts, and (3) two-step descriptive-reasoning prompts. Images were sourced from the Taiwan Society of Laboratory Medicine external quality assurance archives with expert consensus diagnoses. Results: Zero-shot prompting significantly outperformed complex multi-choice prompts across all models and domains (p < 0.001). With zero-shot prompts, Gemini achieved 78.5% overall accuracy (urinalysis: 92.0%; parasitology: 75.5%; blood smears: 64.1%), representing a 17% improvement over complex prompts. Two-step descriptive-reasoning prompts further improved blood smear accuracy by 8–12% for top-performing models, but showed minimal benefit in urinalysis and parasitology. The re-query mechanism (“please reconsider”) improved urinalysis accuracy by 7.6% but had a negligible effect on blood smears and parasitology. Conclusions: Prompting strategy critically determines MLLM diagnostic performance. Zero-shot approaches with minimal constraints consistently outperform complex multi-choice formats. The remarkable performance of general-purpose models in structured domains like urinalysis (>90% accuracy) demonstrates the considerable progress of multimodal AI. However, complex morphological tasks like blood smear interpretation require either specialized prompting techniques or domain-specific fine-tuning. These findings provide evidence-based guidance for optimizing AI integration in clinical laboratories. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Application of Large Language Models (LLMs) and Vision-Language Models (VLMs) in Healthcare)

16 pages, 4161 KB

Open AccessArticle

Soil Clay Drives Variations in Carbon and Nitrogen Stocks in Topsoil and Subsoil with Grassland Cultivation Duration: A 50-Year Chronosequence

by Gao Peng, Libo Liu and Qiqi Tan

Agriculture 2026, 16(9), 923; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16090923 (registering DOI) - 22 Apr 2026

Abstract

Knowledge of the influence of grassland-to-cropland conversion on subsoil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) stocks and the effect of soil properties on subsoil C and N stocks after grassland cultivation remain poorly understood. Furthermore, soil C and N changes retain a biological coupling under global changes; however, whether the coupling between soil C and N stocks can be disrupted by long-term grassland cultivation remains largely unknown. Here, we explored changes in soil C and N stocks at three soil depths (0–10, 10–30, and 30–50 cm) across a grassland cultivation chronosequence of 50 years in a semiarid agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China. Our results showed that soil C and N stocks in the 0–10 cm soil layer exhibited a valley-shaped pattern with increasing cultivation duration, reaching the lowest value at 20 years of grassland cultivation. For the 10–30 cm and 30–50 cm soil layers, soil C and N stocks within 10 years of grassland cultivation were higher than those in native grassland. Soil C and N stocks bottomed out at 20 years of grassland cultivation and then increased with the duration of grassland cultivation. Cultivation duration had no direct effect on soil C and N stocks across soil depths but exerted an indirect influence by affecting soil properties. Soil properties mainly drove variations in C and N stocks in soil, which strengthened with soil depth. Soil C and N stocks in the 0–10 cm soil layer showed a positive correlation with soil pH and soil clay and silt contents and were negatively related to soil sand content. Soil C and N stocks in the 10–30 and 30–50 cm soil layers were only positively correlated with soil clay content. These indicate that soil clay plays a vital role in regulating variations in C and N stocks in topsoil and subsoil with the duration of grassland cultivation. Moreover, soil C stocks in the three soil layers exhibited a significant correlation with soil N stocks. This reveals that the coupled correlation between soil C and N stocks still remains under long-term grassland cultivation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Section Agricultural Soils)

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