Search Results (18,425)

Black currants (Ribes nigrum L.) and their hybrid berries are distinguished by their exceptionally high content levels of anthocyanin and vitamin C, major phytochemicals with health-promoting properties. This study was designed to substantially reduce the HPLC runtime required for black currant anthocyanin analysis and clarify how key determinants, including morphological traits (berry size and peel proportion), genetic variation across 12 cultivars, and cryogenic milling, affect anthocyanin accumulation and quantification. A rapid HPLC protocol was developed that achieves the high-resolution separation of four major and eight minor anthocyanins in black currant within a 10 min run, enabling efficient, high-throughput analysis, very important in long-term breeding programs due to the large number of genotypes. Cryogenic grinding substantially enhanced the extraction yield and reproducibility relative to just blending. Using the improved extraction and analysis method, a set of anthocyanin content-related morphologic berry traits was systematically evaluated, providing information directly relevant to future phenotyping and breeding efforts. Smaller black currant berries generally have higher total anthocyanin content than larger berries, and these morphological attributes are tightly linked to the genotype. Although a higher peel proportion was related to higher anthocyanin content within genotype, there was no global trend, and anthocyanin contents were similar in different size berry peels. Full article

Telegram, along with WhatsApp and Signal, has become very popular due to its hybrid capabilities, including both instant private and public messaging, making it an effective tool for quickly broadcasting content to a wide audience. This article presents TGEconomicDataset, a new dataset containing more than 2.9 million messages from the most popular Russian-language Telegram channels in the field of economics, as well as synthetically generated labeled mixtures of these channels. These mixtures are specifically designed to model authorship change scenarios for testing various methods for solving the problem of continuous authentication, which is of particular interest due to the need for organizations and companies to rely on data posted on social media. The presented dataset is enriched with quotes of important financial instruments such as gold futures, the USD/RUB currency pair, BRENT oil, the dollar index (DXY), and bitcoin (BTC), synchronized with the message timestamps. A detailed joint analysis of the collected data is provided. In addition to the presented dataset, we publish the scripts used to collect the data, integrate the financial indicators, and generate the synthetic mixtures for the continuous authentication task, ensuring full reproducibility of the research. Full article

Waste battery powder (WBP) can effectively enhance the service performance of virgin asphalt with sol–gel structures; however, its toughening mechanism for sol–gel virgin asphalt still lacks rigorous mechanical characterization. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate the toughening of WBP-modified asphalt based on the mechanical parameter of cracking area. First, a 12% content of WBP was incorporated into the sol–gel 70# virgin asphalt to prepare WBP-modified asphalt and its fatigue performance was evaluated through linear amplitude, non-damage, and damage time sweep tests. Then, energy–mechanics balance equations were used to establish a cracking area model. Furthermore, the asphalt cracking area was employed to quantify its induced damage and determine the representative rate for the cracking damage process (k_cd). Finally, the activation energy for cracking damage (E_acd) was used to quantify the difficulty of the cracking damage process. The scanning electron microscope test was employed to examine the microstructure of WBP-modified asphalt and the E_acd and microscopic morphology of WBP-modified asphalt were analyzed to reveal the toughening effect of WBP on virgin asphalt. The results showed that WBP-modified asphalt exhibits three nonlinear cracking stages, with a lower cracking rate than virgin asphalt. Its cracking damage generally increases over time, and the damage evolution parameter β serves as k_cd. The micro-grooves and wrinkles of WBP improve bonding to asphalt, increasing the E_acd of sol–gel 70# virgin asphalt from 10.6 to 23.88 kJ·mol⁻¹, thus achieving toughening. In summary, the fatigue damage process of WBP-modified asphalt can be characterized by the kinetic parameters β and E_acd. Full article

Generative models play a pivotal role in the field of medical imaging. This paper provides an extensive and scholarly review of the application of generative models in medical image creation and translation. In the creation aspect, the goal is to generate new images based on potential conditional variables, while in translation, the aim is to map images from one or more modalities to another, preserving semantic and informational content. The review begins with a thorough exploration of a diverse spectrum of generative models, including Variational Autoencoders (VAEs), Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs), Diffusion Models (DMs), and their respective variants. The paper then delves into an insightful analysis of the merits and demerits inherent to each model type. Subsequently, a comprehensive examination of tasks related to medical image creation and translation is undertaken. For the creation aspect, papers are classified based on downstream tasks such as image classification, segmentation, and others. In the translation facet, papers are classified according to the target modality. A chord diagram depicting medical image translation across modalities, including Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computed Tomography (CT), Cone Beam CT (CBCT), X-ray radiography, Positron Emission Tomography (PET), and ultrasound imaging, is presented to illustrate the direction and relative quantity of previous studies. Additionally, the chord diagram of MRI image translation across contrast mechanisms is also provided. The final section offers a forward-looking perspective, outlining prospective avenues and implementation guidelines for future research endeavors. Full article

Semi-dry desulfurization ash (SDA) is generated in rapidly increasing quantities and remains underutilised, despite its high CaO content, which makes it a promising candidate for CO₂ storage via carbonation curing. However, the carbonation behaviour and consolidation mechanism of standalone SDA compacts are not yet well understood. In this study, SDA compacts were prepared at water-to-solid (w/s) ratios of 1.5:10 and 1.83:10 and subjected to carbonation curing for 0–24 h under controlled CO₂ conditions. Compressive strength, CO₂ uptake, and microstructural evolution were assessed using XRD, TG–DTG, FTIR, and SEM. CO₂ uptake increased with curing time and reached approximately 20% after 24 h, whereas compressive strength exhibited a non-linear response, peaking at 8.67 MPa after 6 h at w/s = 1.5:10 and declining thereafter. Phase and microstructural analyses indicate that strength development is governed by the transformation of Ca(OH)₂ to CaCO₃ polymorphs, with early densification followed by increased porosity as calcite coarsens. Sulphur-bearing phases (e.g., CaSO₃·0.5H₂O) remain largely inert under the tested conditions. These findings demonstrate that carbonation curing can significantly enhance CO₂ fixation in SDA and generate low-strength construction materials while also highlighting the need to optimise mix design and curing parameters to mitigate strength loss at extended curing times. Full article

Background/Objectives: Robot-Assisted Surgery poses challenges in skill acquisition due to the lack of haptic feedback, which may lead to adverse intraoperative events. This study focused on a multisite pilot evaluation on the simulator’s ability to discriminate between different levels of expertise and the ability to explore potential differences between surgical specialties. Methods: We built a simulator that can replicate anatomies of vascular and adipose tissue. A resistive stretching sensor was integrated into a silicone vessel to objectively measure its deformation. A total of 18 males and 12 females, aged between 26 and 64 years old, participated to the study. In total, there were 30 participants, (21 general surgeons, 2 thoracic surgeons, 4 gynecologists, 3 urologists) and they performed two repetitions of a surgical task and filled in a questionnaire about face- and content validities and a system usability scale. The tests were conducted between February and October 2023. Results: The discriminant validity was positively assessed, considering the maximum deformation value (p-value = 0.0479) and the mean deformation value (p-value = 0.0317). Differences were found between urologists, (i) general surgeons (p-value = 0.0167) and, (ii) gynecologists (p-value = 0.0495). The face- and content validity of the simulator received 80% and 90% of positive answers, respectively. Conclusions: Future works will deal with the evaluation of the simulator abilities in surgical training by comparing surgeons trained on the simulator to those who are not. Full article

Background: Whole-slide imaging and algorithmic advances have moved computational pathology from research to routine consideration. Despite notable successes, real-world deployment remains limited by generalization, validation gaps, and human-factor risks, which can be amplified in resource-constrained settings. Content/Scope: This narrative review and implementation perspective summarizes clinically proximate AI capabilities in cancer pathology, including lesion detection, metastasis triage, mitosis counting, immunomarker quantification, and prediction of selected molecular alterations from routine histology. We also summarize recurring failure modes, dataset leakage, stain/batch/site shifts, misleading explanation overlays, calibration errors, and automation bias, and distinguish applications supported by external retrospective validation, prospective reader-assistance or real-world studies, and regulatory-cleared use. We translate these evidence patterns into a practical checklist covering dataset design, external and temporal validation, robustness testing, calibration and uncertainty handling, explainability sanity checks, and workflow-safety design. Equity Focus: We propose a stepwise adoption pathway for low- and middle-income countries: prioritize narrow, high-impact use cases; match compute and storage requirements to local infrastructure; standardize pre-analytics; pool validation cohorts; and embed quality management, privacy protections, and audit trails. Conclusions: AI can already serve as a reliable second reader for selected tasks, reducing variance and freeing expert time. Safe, equitable deployment requires disciplined validation, calibrated uncertainty, and guardrails against human-factor failure. With pragmatic scoping and shared infrastructure, pathology programs can realize benefits while preserving trust and accountability. Full article

The edible and sensory quality of fermented fish products, particularly the formation of garlic clove-structured muscle flakes (GCMF), play critical roles in consumer acceptance and consumption. Herein, aiming to obtain the optimal technical process, this study systematically explored the generation and dynamic evolution of GCMF structure of fermented mandarin fish, especially the integrity and peeling properties of GCMF, which would profoundly determine the textural properties of fish flesh. Meanwhile, flavor profiles were also concentrated during the formation of GCMF. Specifically, our results showed that the optimal fermentation conditions were 3% salt concentration and 7 days of fermentation at 7 °C. Under these conditions, the physicochemical indicators (moisture, pH, TVB-N) of the fermented fish remained within reasonable ranges and the sensory score; peeling integrity of GCMF and the texture properties reached the highest values. In addition, with the increase in fermentation time, the content of undesirable flavor compounds, especially nonanal and 1-octen-3-ol, gradually decreased. Overall, these findings provide a theoretical framework for the evaluation of GCMF structure and for understanding flavor development in fermented mandarin fish, thereby laying a foundation for improved quality control of fermented fish products. Full article

The increasing need for flexible and decentralized electricity systems in Colombia has renewed interest in biomass as a complementary renewable energy source beyond conventional large-scale applications. Rather than focusing on specific conversion technologies, this study develops an indicator-based framework aimed at qualifying the energetic suitability of diverse biomass resources for integration into electrical microgrids and distributed generation schemes. The research follows a documentary and comparative methodological design structured around sequential analytical stages, including the systematization of biomass resources, their physicochemical and energetic characterization based on reported data, conceptual analysis of the biomass-to-electricity pathway, and the formulation of quantitative energy indicators. These indicators are subsequently transformed into qualitative categories through a discretization procedure that enables relative comparison across resource types. Agricultural residues, livestock by-products, urban pruning waste, and residues from dedicated energy crops were considered within a unified analytical framework. The resulting indicator set captures resource availability, energy content, and conversion-relevant attributes, allowing biomass alternatives to be assessed in a consistent and comparable manner without relying on site-specific technological assumptions. By translating quantitative parameters into qualitative energy profiles, the proposed approach supports early-stage planning and decision-making for decentralized power systems. The framework provides a systematic basis for identifying biomass resources with favorable energetic characteristics and contributes to the broader discussion on sustainable and diversified electricity generation in Colombia. Full article

Soluble solid content (SSC) is a key indicator of strawberry quality. Conventional SSC measurement methods are destructive and impractical for large-scale applications. Therefore, this study developed a region-based hyperspectral imaging (HSI) and lightweight one-dimensional convolutional neural network (1D CNN) framework for nondestructive SSC prediction in strawberries. To evaluate spatial effects on predictive accuracy, the fruit surface was segmented into five groups (G1–G5). Three spectral preprocessing methods were applied with partial least squares regression and five convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures, including a simplified VGG-CNN. Larger regions generally improved prediction performance; however, the 50% region (G2) and 75% region (G3) achieved comparable performance to the full region, reducing data requirements. The simplified VGG-CNN model with SNV outperformed other models, exhibiting high accuracy with reduced computational cost, supporting its potential integration into portable and real-time sensing systems. The proposed approach can contribute to improved postharvest quality control and enhanced consumer confidence in strawberry products. Full article

Milk thistle seed cake, a by-product of silymarin production, contains residual oil with valuable bioactive compounds. This study compared oils extracted using microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) and Soxhlet extraction. MAE produced higher yields and better preserved polyunsaturated fatty acids. It also generated oils with lower acid and peroxide values, higher total phenolic content, and greater antioxidant capacity. Oxidative stability evaluated by pressure differential scanning calorimetry (PDSC) showed longer induction times for MAE-derived oils, indicating improved resistance to oxidation. These trends are consistent with the shorter extraction times and reduced thermal exposure associated with MAE. Overall, MAE proved more effective for recovering high-quality oil from milk thistle seed cake, supporting its use as a valuable resource in waste-to-value applications. Full article

This article analyses the professional routines of health journalists in Spain, and their role in tackling disinformation in health reporting targeted at people over the age of 74. It is based on the premise that this age group, being highly exposed to health issues and particularly vulnerable to health-related misinformation, requires content that is tailored, reliable and easy to understand. The research adopts an exploratory-descriptive approach through a self-administered questionnaire addressed to health journalists belonging to professional associations and working in both general and specialist media outlets. As this is an ongoing study, the preliminary results indicate that these professionals report applying rigorous verification mechanisms, which suggests a trend within the surveyed group towards the consolidation of practices against disinformation. The findings also reveal a preference for informative styles that avoid sensationalism and prioritise clarity, although there remains a tendency towards high-impact topics and those linked to media figures. In contrast, attention to the informational needs of older adults is limited and addressed only occasionally. The study concludes that, although the interviewed professionals consider that health journalism in Spain maintains high standards of rigor, it still faces the challenge of systematically adapting its communicative practices to the needs of vulnerable audiences. Full article

Plastic waste poses a growing environmental challenge due to the extensive use of plastics in packaging applications. Recycling plastics offers environmental and economic advantages. Wood flour-derived from cypress wood, often generated as a by-product and discarded in landfills, contributes to environmental In this study, wood–plastic composites were fabricated from recycled high-density polyethylene, wood flour, and high-density polyethylene with maleic anhydride-grafted polyethylene as a coupling agent. Five composite formulations were produced by varying the recycled high-density polyethylene and wood flour volume ratios and processed through injection molding. The mechanical properties, including flexural, tensile, and impact strengths, along with water absorption behavior and microstructural characteristics, were evaluated in accordance with relevant standards using a universal testing machine, Charpy impact test, and scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed that increasing the recycled high-density polyethylene content from 20% to 35% significantly improved the composite performance, reducing water absorption by 9.86% and enhancing flexural, tensile, and impact strengths by 43.33%, 36%, and 35.03%, respectively. Morphological analysis confirmed improved fiber–matrix interfacial adhesion with higher recycled plastic content. These findings demonstrate the potential of recycled high-density polyethylene wood composites as sustainable materials for structural applications, combining environmental benefits with enhanced mechanical performance. Full article

To elucidate the effects of different plantation types on understory vegetation and soil properties in the Mu Us Sandy Land, this study investigated five plantation types: Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv. pure forest, P. sylvestris var. mongolica-Salix psammophila C. Wang and Ch. Y. Yang mixed forest, Salix matsudana Koidz. pure forest, Amorpha fruticosa L. pure forest, and A. fruticosa-S. psammophila mixed forest, using bare sandy land as a control. Through quadrat survey and stratified soil sampling, we assessed the understory plant diversity, soil characteristics, and their interrelationships. The results showed the following: (1) A total of 11 understory plant species, belonging to 11 genera and five families, were recorded, predominantly shrubs from Asteraceae and Fabaceae, and perennial herbs. The S. matsudana pure forest exhibited the highest understory plant diversity, with Shannon and Margalef indices (1.72 and 1.87, respectively) significantly higher than other stands. (2) Soil nutrients varied significantly with forest type. The mixed forest of A. fruticosa and S. psammophila notably improved the contents of soil total nitrogen and organic matter, whereas the soil total phosphorus content was generally low in all stands. (3) Spearman correlation analysis revealed the differential responses of diversity indices to soil factors: the Simpson dominance index was significantly negatively correlated with 10~20 cm soil water content (SWC) (r = −0.9, p < 0.05), and significantly positively correlated with 20~40 cm total phosphorus (TP) (r = 0.9, p < 0.05), with no significant correlations with other soil factors (TN, TK, OM, pH); the Shannon diversity index was highly significantly negatively correlated with 0~10 cm SWC (r = −0.97, p < 0.01), and no significant correlations with other soil factors (TN, TK, TP, OM, pH); the Pielou evenness index was significantly positively correlated with 0~10 cm pH (r = 0.9, p < 0.05) and positively correlated with 20~40 cm pH (r = 0.8) (not statistically significant); by contrast, the Margalef richness index showed no significant correlations with all measured soil physicochemical factors. This study demonstrates that S. matsudana pure forest is more conducive to the development of understory plant diversity, and that soil factors exert a stronger regulatory effect on community structure (evenness and dominance) than on species richness in this arid sandy ecosystem. Full article

The rhizosphere, a confined area of soil plant roots, is an intersection of microbial activity and root exudates. Known as the rhizosphere effect, it enhances crop yield and sustainability by improving nutrient availability, beneficial compounds, and pathogen control. This study combines a field-based rhizosphere–bulk soil comparison for peanut with a geostatistical approach to quantify the spatial variability of rhizosphere-driven changes in soil quality indicators in the Ghardaïa region (southern Algeria), which is known for its sandy–clay and sandy–loam soils. Samples of rhizosphere and bulk soils were prospected using a systematic plan. Subsequently, the pH, electrical conductivity, calcium carbonate, organic matter, total nitrogen, available phosphorus, total potassium, and soluble sodium were determined for each soil (rhizosphere and bulk soil). To assess the spatial variability of rhizosphere soil parameters, semi-variograms of the fitted models were generated using auto-kriging. The results showed that both types of soils were moderately alkaline, with a reduction of 5.52% in the pH of the rhizosphere compared to the bulk soils. Soils were relatively low in organic matter, with only 3.3% of soils having organic matter levels above 20 g kg⁻¹. However, organic matter contents were consistently higher in the rhizosphere (8.51 ± 4.59 g kg⁻¹) than in the bulk soil (6.78 ± 3.52 g kg⁻¹). In the rhizosphere, an increase of 10% in labile phosphorus was noted. Total nitrogen was increased by 52.57%. T-tests suggested no significant difference in potassium and sodium levels, and they were moderately present in both soils. Significantly positive relationships were noted between available phosphorus and total nitrogen (R = 0.59, p < 0.001). However, negative correlations were revealed between pH and organic matter available phosphorus (R = −0.77, p < 0.001) and pH and total nitrogen (R = −0.56, p < 0.01). These results indicate the effects of rhizosphere interactions on soil property improvements and their implications for sustainable agricultural practices, including crop rotation, intercropping, and green manure applications. Full article