Search Results (4,486)

Ni-based catalysts supported on kaolin were synthesized via solution combustion synthesis and promoted with Fe and/or La to investigate their catalytic performance in CO₂ methanation. Catalytic tests showed that Fe significantly improved CO₂ conversion from approximately 52% for Ni-catalyst to 83% for Ni2.5Fe_SCS at 300 °C. However, the promotional effect of Fe showed only a weak dependence on its loading, with Ni modification already being achieved at the lowest Fe content. Among all investigated catalysts, the La-promoted sample exhibited the highest CO₂ conversion (85% at 300 °C), owing to the formation of highly dispersed Ni⁰ crystallites, enhanced surface basicity, and strong metal–support interactions. These interactions also effectively suppressed particle sintering during prolonged stability tests. In contrast, simultaneous promotion with Fe and La did not provide additional catalytic enhancement, indicating that the effects of both promoters were not simply additive. Full article

Different coloured and intensity commercial shade nets are increasingly proposed as a low-cost tool for mitigating abiotic stress in semi-arid cropping systems, but cultivar-specific responses in grain legumes remain poorly documented. This study was conducted in an open field at the Faculty of Agriculture, Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Türkiye, under rainfed conditions to evaluate the effects of unshaded sunlight and three-color commercial shading nets in different intensities (95% shaded dark green; 40% shaded blue–green; 75% shaded black net) on the pea cultivars Araka and Vining pea. The experiment was arranged as a randomised complete block design in split plots with three replications, and plants were sampled at the slow growth (DAE 25), full blooming (DAE 45), podding (DAE 60), seed filling (DAE 75), and physiological maturity (DAE 90) stages. At DAE 75, we recorded the tallest plants under a 75% shaded black net (53.17 cm), the longest roots under sunlight (20.75 cm), the highest number of leaves per plant under 95% shaded dark green net (70.83), the largest leaf area under 75% shaded black net (471.95 cm² plant⁻¹), and the highest dry biomass under sunlight (11.46 g). At physiological maturity, the 75% shaded black net increased pod length (8.50 cm), pod weight per plant (35.10 g), number of fresh seeds per plant (27.33), and fresh seed weight (15.45 g). Complementary analyses based on a specific leaf area proxy, a harvest-index proxy, and a yield–risk matrix revealed a qualitative cultivar × shade interaction in biomass-to-seed conversion, with Vining pea performing best under a 75% shaded black net and Araka under a 95% shaded dark green net. Shade nets are therefore not a one-size-fits-all tool and should be selected in a cultivar-aware manner. Full article

In hilly regions of Pakistan, particularly South Waziristan, oak (Quercus baloot) leaves are a potential locally available feed source, but their tannins may reduce intake and nutrient digestion. Because polyethylene glycol (PEG) binds dietary tannins and can reduce tannin–protein and tannin–enzyme interactions, potentially improving nutrient availability, we evaluated PEG as a practical dietary additive in tannin-rich oak diets. Using practical, non-purified diets, we conducted a 60-day study with thirty-two male Balkhi sheep (3 months old; initial body weight 21.20 ± 0.29 kg). Sheep were stratified by weight and allocated to four diets in a 2 × 2 factorial design: 0% oak + 0% PEG, 45% oak + 0% PEG, 0% oak + 2% PEG, and 45% oak + 2% PEG. We evaluated dry matter and nutrient intake, apparent digestibility, body weight gain, hematology, and blood biochemistry. The 45% oak + 2% PEG diet produced the highest nutrient intake, digestibility, final body weight, and average daily gain, and the lowest Feed conversion ratio. Compared with the 45% oak + 0% PEG diet, average daily gain increased from 77.3 to 181.8 g/day, and dry matter digestibility increased from 41.9% to 57.2%. Endpoint hematology showed no treatment-related abnormalities, while blood urea nitrogen and alanine aminotransferase were significantly lower in sheep receiving 45% oak + 2% PEG than in those receiving the other three diets. Because the diets were practical formulations rather than nutrient-matched mechanistic diets, these findings support the tested oak + PEG diet under local study conditions but do not isolate tannin binding as the sole mechanism. Full article

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a highly heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by core features of social communication deficits and high prevalence of gastrointestinal comorbidities. With its continuously rising global prevalence, current therapeutic modalities remain unable to target and ameliorate the core symptoms of ASD. The microbiota–gut–brain axis (MGBA), a critical pathway mediating crosstalk between the gut microbiota and the brain, has been extensively documented to be deeply involved in the pathological progression of ASD in recent years. However, prior studies have predominantly focused on the unidirectional regulation of the brain by gut microbiota, lacking an integrated account of the bidirectional regulation across immune, metabolic, and endocrine systems. Centered on the immune–metabolic–endocrine interactive network, this review systematically delineates the bidirectional regulatory mechanisms of the MGBA in ASD by integrating recent evidence from microbiota sequencing, animal models, and clinical intervention studies, with the aim of clarifying the bidirectional causal controversy between intestinal microecological disturbance and ASD behavioral abnormalities. This review proposes that in children with ASD, decreased abundance of beneficial intestinal bacteria and disrupted metabolic profiles of short-chain fatty acids synergistically impair intestinal barrier integrity, triggering peripheral chronic inflammation that further drives excessive microglial activation-mediated central neuroinflammation. Subsequently, disturbances in the homeostasis of multiple neurotransmitters including 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT), γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), histamine, and dopamine occur via the vagus nerve and hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis, ultimately driving ASD behavioral abnormalities. Conversely, chronic stress and behavioral characteristics associated with ASD reshape the intestinal microecology through neuroendocrine pathways, forming a vicious cycle of “microbiota dysbiosis—immune inflammation—HPA axis hyperactivity—further intestinal microecological imbalance”. This review summarizes the therapeutic efficacy and translational bottlenecks of three types of microecological interventions: fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT), probiotics, and ketogenic diet, and analyzes the current limitations in the field, including pronounced population heterogeneity, unclear cross-talk mechanisms among multiple pathways, and the scarcity of large-sample clinical evidence. Collectively, this review preliminarily elucidates the complete multi-system interactive framework of MGBA regulation in ASD, providing theoretical support for mechanistic research and gut-targeted individualized interventions for ASD. Full article

Multilingual students’ repertoires are often framed either as resources for participation or as possible sources of difficulty, yet their situated use in special education remains underexamined. This study investigated how students in German special schools for social, emotional and behavioral development (SEBD) mobilized migration-related multilingual repertoires to address practical interactional problems and how situational conditions shaped the functions and consequences of these practices. A multi-sited ethnography was conducted in six SEBD special schools in the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region (North Rhine-Westphalia) between April 2024 and March 2025. Data comprised participant observation, written and talking fieldnotes, and informal ethnographic conversations. They were analyzed through a constant-comparative approach informed by reflexive grounded theory. Six recurring practice types were grouped into four result domains: Participation and Meaning-Making, Relational Positioning and Communicative Accessibility, Affective Mobilization and Counter-Positioning, and Navigation of Institutional Language Orders. Repertoire use had no fixed inclusive, disruptive, or resistant function. Its meaning emerged within interaction and changed with participation structures, public visibility, adult comprehension, and peer responses. In SEBD settings, migration-related linguistic marking and behavioral interpretation could reinforce one another. Multilingual practices should therefore be analyzed sequentially and situationally rather than treated as direct indicators of competence or disturbance. Full article

Understanding the ecological drivers shaping animal foraging and interactions remains a central question in ecology. Among the most studied systems in this field are the ant–plant interactions, although disentangling the complexity of factors acting in different contexts remains a relevant question. This study investigated how habitat structure, liquid food rewards, and interspecific competition interact to modulate the foraging patterns of the abundant ant Camponotus termitarius on the rosette-shaped plant Eryngium chamissonis in the Brazilian Pampa, where ant–plant interactions are still poorly studied. We monitored 115 plants across three sampling events, measuring ant foraging, trophobiont abundance, vegetation density, plant size, and local nest distributions, and analyzed the relationships using Piecewise Structural Equation Modeling (pSEM). The pSEM revealed that surrounding vegetation density negatively affected C. termitarius nest density, nest extensions, and hemipteran trophobionts. Conversely, denser vegetation and larger plants favored the aggressive competitor Camponotus rufipes. While trophobiont presence and proximal nesting infrastructure directly facilitated C. termitarius activity, hostplant inflorescences promoted the construction of nest extensions on plants. We conclude that C. termitarius foraging is regulated by a multidimensional network where microhabitat complexity mediates spatial niche partitioning and competitive dynamics between sympatric ants. Full article

Background/Objectives: Chest compression quality is a key determinant of survival after cardiac arrest. Debriefing is an essential educational tool in cardiopulmonary resuscitation training; however, limited evidence exists regarding the comparative effectiveness of specific debriefing approaches incorporating objective feedback. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether a structured Plus/Delta debriefing approach incorporating graphical performance feedback was associated with greater improvements in chest compression quality parameters than unstructured conversational debriefing in nursing students. Methods: A pre–post quasi-experimental study with a control group was conducted in nursing students. Participants were assigned to experimental or control groups at the academic subgroup level. The experimental group received a structured Plus/Delta debriefing approach incorporating graphical performance feedback, whereas the control group received conversational debriefing. Performance outcomes were assessed before and after the intervention. The primary outcome was the time spent with compression rate, compression depth, and residual leaning simultaneously within their recommended ranges, expressed in seconds. Data were primarily analyzed using linear mixed-effects models to account for repeated measures and clustering. Sensitivity analyses using ANCOVA models adjusted for baseline values and age were performed to assess the robustness of the findings. Results: A total of 112 participants were included (n = 56 per group), with no baseline differences between groups. Improvements were observed in both groups, although they were larger in the experimental group. Mixed-effects models showed significant group × time interactions, with the experimental group showing greater improvements in the primary outcome (β = 91.40 s, 95% CI 82.51–100.28; p < 0.001). Significant group × time interactions were also observed for the secondary compression-quality outcomes. The percentage of total test duration during which all three parameters were simultaneously within the recommended ranges increased in both groups and showed a greater improvement in the experimental group. A complementary analysis using a fixed 120 s observation period showed a greater proportion of time with all three parameters simultaneously within the recommended ranges in the experimental group (50.7% ± 24.8% vs. 42.8% ± 11.0%; p = 0.042). ANCOVA sensitivity analyses adjusted for baseline values and age yielded results consistent with the primary analysis. Conclusions: A structured Plus/Delta debriefing approach incorporating graphical performance feedback was associated with greater improvements in the consistency of guideline-compliant chest compression performance than unstructured conversational debriefing in undergraduate nursing students during simulated CPR training. However, given the quasi-experimental design, group-level allocation, potential practice effects, residual confounding, and the inability to isolate the independent contributions of structured debriefing and graphical feedback, causal inference should be made with caution. Randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings, evaluate their long-term effects, and determine whether similar findings are observed in other populations and settings. Full article

The transition toward active and converter-dominated distribution networks is increasing the need for Digital Real-Time Simulation (DRTS) platforms capable of supporting the validation, operation, and planning of modern power systems with high penetrations of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs). This review aims to critically examine the technological and methodological barriers that continue to limit the evolution of DRTS from a validation tool toward an operational cyber–physical infrastructure for future intelligent power systems. Particular attention is devoted to computational scalability, communication latency, Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL), model conversion, proprietary “black-box” devices, digital twins, and the computational strategies required to preserve deterministic real-time execution. The reviewed literature indicates that maintaining real-time determinism while preserving high-fidelity electromagnetic transient (EMT) models remains one of the principal technological challenges for future DRTS platforms. The analysis further shows that many of the current limitations associated with digital twins, grid-forming technologies, and large-scale industrial deployment originate not from isolated technological deficiencies, but from the interaction among computational, communication, interoperability, synchronization, and model-management constraints. The evidence indicates that overcoming these limitations requires coordinated advances in computational architectures, communication infrastructures, model automation, interoperability, and cyber–physical integration rather than isolated hardware improvements. Overall, this review argues that the future impact of DRTS will depend not only on improvements in simulation performance, but also on its evolution into an interoperable and experimentally oriented cyber–physical infrastructure capable of supporting phenomenological analysis and the next generation of intelligent, resilient, and autonomous power systems. Full article

Exosomes are small extracellular vesicles (EVs) generated through the endosomal pathway that mediate intercellular communication by transferring proteins, lipids, and regulatory RNAs. In parallel, the NLRP3 inflammasome is a key signaling platform of the innate immune system that integrates cellular stress signals to drive inflammatory responses. Recent studies suggest that exosome biology and NLRP3 signaling intersect at fundamental levels of cell organization. On one hand, inflammasome activation can promote exosome biogenesis and secretion through caspase-1-dependent remodeling of intracellular trafficking, including cleavage of Rab-interacting lysosomal protein (RILP) and redistribution of multivesicular bodies (MVBs). These processes influence the selective loading of exosomal cargo, notably miRNAs, through sequence-dependent mechanisms involving RNA-binding proteins and the endosomal sorting machinery. Conversely, exosomes can modulate inflammasome activity in recipient cells by delivering regulatory molecules that affect NLRP3 priming and signaling. Although exosome release is increased in several inflammatory disorders, including ischemia/reperfusion injury, diabetes and neurodegenerative disease, the mechanistic relationship between exosome pathways and NLRP3 remains incompletely understood. In addition to their pathogenic and diagnostic relevance, exosomes are increasingly being explored as innovative acellular biologics and therapeutic delivery platforms due to their immunomodulatory and regenerative properties. In particular, mesenchymal stem cell (MSC)-derived exosomes have shown promising anti-inflammatory effects through modulation of NLRP3 pathways in preclinical models of kidney, cardiovascular, neurological and inflammatory diseases. Here, we review current evidence connecting NLRP3 inflammasome activation to EV trafficking, exosome formation, and cargo selection, and discuss how exosome-mediated communication shapes inflammasome signaling across cells and tissues in health and disease. Full article

Cultural memory in classical poetry is carried not by isolated words but through textual relations, interpretive traditions, and paratextual frames. Taking “Nanshan” (南山) in the Shijing (詩經) as a mnemonic node, this study examines how its cultural memory is reconstructed in four English translations by James Legge, Arthur Waley, Bernhard Karlgren, and Xu Yuanchong. A small corpus of eleven Shijing poems containing these mountain expressions was compiled, yielding forty-four poem–translator records. The analysis combines manual coding, checked through independent second coding of a subset of records, with descriptive statistics and close case studies across five dimensions: naming strategy, spatial function, cultural memory strategy, poetic reconstruction, and paratextual mediation. The results show that geographical renderings such as “southern hill(s)” and “Southern Mountain” predominate, but they do not necessarily erase cultural memory; conversely, phonetic or proper-name retention does not automatically preserve it. More specifically, the visibility of Nanshan’s affective, political-ritual, auspicious, and agrarian associations depends on the interaction of translated names with poetic context, titles, notes, classification, selection, and verse form. Translating classical poetic imagery, the study argues, involves not merely retaining culture-specific names but rebuilding the interpretive conditions under which cultural memory can be recognized in the target language. Full article

We review recent calculations and numerical simulations showing the formation of coherent states of protons in hydrogen-loaded metals with a cubic crystal lattice. The characteristic frequencies discussed here are the local proton frequency, the plasma frequency, and the resonant confined electromagnetic frequency; depending on the adopted parameters, they are of order ${10}^{13}$–${10}^{14}\mathrm{Hz}$. They are far from the much higher frequency corresponding to the full electron-capture energy transfer. In these states protons oscillate coherently and in a fixed phase relation with a strong high-frequency electric field which is trapped in the material, especially if the material is made of micro-powders. The energy gap of the coherent ground state is estimated to be well above thermal energies, of the order of a fraction of an eV per particle, and therefore large enough to make the state robust against thermal fluctuations. The analytical calculations address the realistic case of a large number of protons, in the rotating-wave approximation. The numerical calculations are presently limited to a small number of protons but go beyond the rotating-wave approximation and allow one to take into account a dissipation term associated with the strong oscillating electric field. The next task of this theoretical model is to compute the excited states of the coherent system. A simplified interacting-qubit model gives evidence of collective transition energies larger than the single-oscillator spacing. It does not yet establish whether a realistic external pump can populate such collective excited states with appreciable probability, nor the overall pump-to-capture conversion efficiency in a realistic proton lattice. If suitable states can be populated, their de-excitation could make some electron-capture processes energetically possible, with generation of slow neutrons. This dynamical mechanism offers an alternative to the Widom–Larsen hypothesis of “heavy electrons”, and is closer to current models in mainstream physics. The consequences, in terms of nuclear transmutations, of neutron generation via electron capture would be similar to those already known in the literature. Full article

Generative AI’s application in hands-on engineering systems has gained substantial attention, particularly in complex hardware–software configurations that involve physical operational risks. Traditional configuration tools often lack real-time contextual awareness, limiting the diagnostic capabilities of novice users. To overcome such limitations, we developed an AI-driven system configuration and diagnostics engine by integrating a deterministic rule-validation layer with a probabilistic generative large language model, balancing factual reliability with adaptive conversational debugging. Using task–technology fit (TTF) theory, the engine’s functional alignment was evaluated through an experimental study involving 100 participants. Structural equation modeling results showed that TTF significantly enhances user learning satisfaction and overall diagnostic learning outcomes. Accounting for 86.3% of the variance in diagnostic performance (R² = 0.863), the developed engine presents high effectiveness in supporting real-time, interactive engineering diagnostics. Full article

The reproductive stage is a critical time in a plant’s life history when dealing with heat stress as the specific processes of meiosis, gametogenesis, anthesis, pollination, fertilization, and early seed development all occur within comparatively narrow temperature limits. Much of the importance of flowering is tied directly to temperature, both for the timing of reproductive transition and the ability for male and female reproductive tissues to survive exposure to damaging heat. Ambient-temperature sensing is linked to flowering via regulatory modules that involve phytochrome B, EARLY FLOWERING 3 (ELF3), PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR 4 (PIF4), FLOWERING LOCUS T (FT), FLOWERING LOCUS M (FLM), SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP), and the light–circadian components. Conversely, when temperature is harmful, protective responses involve other cellular mechanisms such as activation of heat-shock transcription factors (HSFs), heat-shock proteins (HSPs), endoplasmic-reticulum protein quality control, calcium and reactive oxygen species (ROS) signaling, antioxidant systems, hormone regulation, metabolic reprogramming, autophagy and DNA-repair pathways. Male reproductive development is often very sensitive, especially at meiosis, during formation of the tetrad, microspore development, during the maturation of pollen, and during the growth of the pollen tubes, although injury to pistils, ovules and the post-fertilization tissues may solely have an effect on the restriction of fertilization and seed set. Phenological heat escape and intrinsic reproductive thermotolerance are genetically separable but can be complementary aspects of adaptation, as revealed by natural allelic variation, QTL mapping, genomic prediction and marker assisted selection. This review summarizes molecular, genetic and physiological evidence, to propose that, to ensure stable yields at high temperatures, there is a need to coordinate optimization of reproductive timing, cell and development thermotolerance, and post-fertilization sink stability. Full article

A series of documented deaths by suicide following prolonged interactions with chatbots based on large language models (LLMs) has exposed the clinical risks of delegating emotional support to conversational artificial intelligence. This paper proposes a psychodynamic account of these events, integrating the bi-logical theory of Ignacio Matte Blanco, the Freudian theory of primary hallucination, and the analysis of demand elaborated by Carli and Paniccia. Two theoretical moves ground the account. First, the suicidal crisis is conceptualized not as a continuous state but as a pathological prevalence of symmetric logic that recurs and consolidates across acute moments, marked by the generalization, maximization, and irradiation of psychic pain and by the collapse of temporality; LLM-based chatbots, conversely, are conceptualized as systems of pure formal asymmetry lacking any symmetric, emotional, and embodied base. Second, their encounter generates what we call relational hallucination: an unconscious, structurally determined process, homologous to primary hallucination, through which the subject in crisis invests the chatbot with relational qualities perceived as real. Because the process obeys the laws of symmetric logic, it is resistant to correction by information alone, and it can consolidate cumulatively even across interactions that also contain deliberative, asymmetric elements such as planning. The chatbot, responding to the explicit request rather than to the unconscious demand it conveys, produces an amplificatory collusion that reinforces the premises of the crisis. The failure of algorithmic support in acute suicidal states is therefore ontological rather than technical. Implications for clinical training, regulation, and research are discussed, including testable hypotheses linking markers of symmetric prevalence to the intensity of chatbot attachment. Full article

Heat stress adversely affects productivity and oxidative balance in rabbits. This study evaluated nano-zinc oxide (Nano-ZnO), sesame essential oil (SEO), and their combination in growing rabbits under severe to very severe heat stress (maximum daily THI, 10-day averages, 29.47–30.58). Eighty V-line males (45 days; 1100 ± 55 g) were assigned to basal diet, Nano-ZnO (60 mg/kg), SEO (300 mg/kg), or both for 60 days. Growth, digestibility, carcass traits, serum biochemistry and minerals, antioxidant status, and liver Zn were measured. No mortality occurred. Body weight was higher in all supplemented groups at 85 and 105 days (p = 0.001); at 65 days, only Nano-ZnO and SEO groups differed from the control. Overall, 45–105-day gain was higher in all supplemented groups (p = 0.001) and feed conversion improved (p = 0.009), whereas interval gains differed by additive. Nano-ZnO increased feed intake; SEO reduced intake. SEO, alone or combined, enhanced dry matter and crude protein digestibility (p < 0.01), and ether extract digestibility was highest with the combination. Carcass yield was unchanged, but relative liver and kidney weights increased with the combination (p ≤ 0.018). Nano-ZnO elevated serum Zn and Mg and liver Zn, whereas Ca decreased; p was greatest with the combination (p < 0.001). Globulin increased and albumin/globulin ratio decreased in treated groups. SOD and GR activities and TAC increased, and MDA decreased in supplemented groups, with the largest responses for the combination, whereas GPx was not significantly affected. In conclusion, Nano-ZnO and SEO, alone or combined, were associated with improved growth performance, nutrient utilization, and redox balance under heat stress. Because treatments were compared by one-way ANOVA, no Nano-ZnO × SEO interaction was tested and the combination is described as a combined effect, not synergy; the higher relative organ weights and lower serum calcium require further evaluation. Full article