Search Results (2,776)

Automating ICD-10 coding from discharge summaries remains demanding because coders analyze clinical narratives while justifying decisions. This study compares three automation patterns: PLM-ICD as a standalone deep learning system emitting 15 codes per case, LLM-only generation with full autonomy, and a hybrid approach where PLM-ICD drafts candidates for an agentic LLM audit to accept or reject. All strategies were evaluated on 19,801 MIMIC-IV summaries using four LLMs spanning compact (Qwen2.5-3B-Instruct, Llama-3.2-3B-Instruct, Phi-4-mini-instruct) to large-scale (Sonnet-4.5). Precision guided evaluation because coders still supply any missing diagnoses. PLM-ICD alone reached 55.8% precision while always surfacing 15 suggestions. LLM-only generation lagged severely (1.5–34.6% precision) and produced inconsistent output sizes. The agentic audit delivered the best trade-off: compact LLMs reviewed the 15 candidates, discarded weak evidence, and returned 2–8 high-confidence codes. Llama-3.2-3B-Instruct, for example, improved from 1.5% as a generator to 55.1% as a verifier while trimming false positives by 73%. These results show that positioning LLMs as quality controllers, rather than primary generators, yields reliable support for clinical coding teams, while formal recall/F1 reporting remains future work for fully autonomous implementations. Full article

Agricultural credit rationing remains a persistent systemic friction driven by information opacity and limited collateral. This study develops a credit risk early-warning system by fusing multi-source institutional digital footprints (tax compliance signals, judicial enforcement records, and credit history indicators) for 1021 agricultural enterprises in China. Methodologically, we propose a Default Event Isolation protocol to enforce strict ex ante validity by discarding observations at and after the event month, and implement a two-step feature optimization pipeline that reduces 138 predictors to a parsimonious set of 50 features. Empirically, the optimized LightGBM (version 4.6.0) model achieves an AUC = 0.9345 (95% bootstrap CI: 0.8745–0.9563) and PR-AUC = 0.4421, representing a 47× lift over the random baseline under extreme class imbalance (0.94% event rate), and captures 87.4% of early-warning events by monitoring only the top 10% highest-risk firms. The interpretability analysis consistently highlights judicial boundary constraints and tax stability signals as dominant predictors, forming a “judicial baseline + tax stability” dual-core structure. A strict credit-only robustness check using bank-recorded NPL labels maintains strong predictive performance (AUC = 0.9089, 95% bootstrap CI: 0.8255–0.9591), mitigating concerns that the model’s signal is driven by label overlap. These findings suggest that integrating institutional records into automated screening pipelines can enable the earlier and more targeted identification of distressed borrowers in rural lending, even when traditional financial statements are unavailable. Full article

Broadcast-based flooding in wireless ad hoc networks is subject to the broadcast storm problem, characterized by excessive transmissions, collisions, and link losses. While randomized network coding (RNC) enhances resilience against packet losses, efficient buffer management and adaptive transmission strategies are essential. This paper proposes novel buffering mechanisms and adaptive coding strategies to improve data unit reception rates in RNC-based broadcast flooding. Our buffering mechanism combines Last-In-First-Out (LIFO) and Least Recently Used (LRU) discard policies. When buffers are full, it prioritizes the discarding of stale, incomplete buffers based on elapsed time since the last coded block arrival, thereby overcoming First-In-First-Out (FIFO) limitations that prematurely discard buffers before sufficient coded blocks have accumulated. Our adaptive coding dynamically adjusts transmitted coded packets based on data unit duplication rates without inter-node coordination, reducing blocks during high duplication and increasing them under difficult reception conditions. Simulation experiments using OMNeT++ and INET framework for Vehicular Ad Hoc Networks demonstrate that LIFO+LRU buffering significantly increases the received data units and prevents redundant reception, while adaptive coding further improves reception rates under challenging conditions. Full article

This work proposes a lightweight biometric key-binding scheme that adapts a PUF-style challenge–response mechanism to face geometry: a two-factor password and session nonce generate random challenge points, Gray-coded Euclidean distances to facial landmarks form responses, and a random key is bound by discarding selected positions so only a reduced subset, the nonce, and a key hash are stored. At authentication, a fresh response set is compared to the subset with a Hamming-distance tolerance, and bounded local search corrects residual errors; each successful session rotates the nonce and refreshes the ephemeral key. We frame this as a conceptual exploration of an interpretable, on-device, controlled-capture design niche—a per-session nonce-driven cancelable biometric key-binding mechanism—and we quantify the resulting security–usability trade-offs. Empirically, the scheme works under stable capture conditions with carefully tuned thresholds, and it is naturally suited to tightly controlled deployments (e.g., access kiosks) where it can also incorporate user-driven micro-gestures as an extra behavioral factor. While the construction is fragile under broader variability and leans on the second factor for security, it offers an alternative to existing mechanisms and a clear niche, and we present it as a conceptual exploration showing how CRP mechanisms can inform cancelable biometrics with per-session revocability. Full article

This study addresses the challenges of large-scale processing and resource utilization of mango waste in the Panzhihua region. Its focus is on investigating the key role of material ratio optimization in improving the humification quality of compost products. Three typical wet weight ratios of discarded mango and pruning branches were used (T1, T2, T3) toconduct high-temperature aerobic composting experiments under the stable environmental conditions provided by nanomembrane coverage. The temperature of the compost pile, nitrogen transformation, and dynamic changes in humic components were systematically monitored. The results showed that the T2 treatment achieved the optimal compost performance, entering the high-temperature period (≥55 °C) within 4 days, with a peak temperature of 61.9 °C, and the high temperature lasting for 13 days. The carbon-nitrogen ratio decreased by 46.6%, and the ammonia volatilization rate was the lowest (0.0135 mg/(m²·d)); the degree of humification was the highest, with the HA/FA ratio reaching 2.19 and the seed germination index being 222.49%. This study demonstrates that an appropriate “fruit-to-branch” ratio, under the stable environment created by nanomembrane coverage, can synergistically promote the compost humification process and product quality. This provides a reliable theoretical basis and technical pathway for the resource utilization of mango waste. Full article

This study investigates the material recycling potential of discarded wind instrument reeds (Arundo donax), which are conventionally incinerated, by compounding them with thermoplastics (thermoplastic polyolefin, TPO; polybutylene succinate, PBS). After recovered reeds were pulverized and injection-molded at 10 and 30 wt% concentrations, their mechanical and interfacial properties were evaluated. Experimentally obtained results indicate that waste reeds function as effective reinforcing agents, particularly when combined with biodegradable PBS. Incorporating 30 wt% reed flour into PBS enhanced flexural strength by approximately 1.7 times and flexural modulus by 2.8 times compared to the neat resin. This superior performance relative to TPO composites is attributed to robust interfacial hydrogen bonding among PBS carbonyl groups and the hydroxyl groups on the reed surface. Additionally, thermal and spectroscopic analyses revealed that these strong interactions elevate the crystallization temperature and generate a “Rigid Amorphous Phase” (RAF) that facilitates efficient stress transfer. These research findings demonstrate the feasibility of creating high-quality, bio-based composites, offering a sustainable method to reduce petroleum reliance and carbon dioxide emissions by upcycling musical waste. Full article

Chicory (Cichorium intybus L.) is a widely used nutritional and medicinal plant, whose roots are an important commercial source of inulin, while the aerial parts are often discarded during industrial processing. This study systematically compared chicory polysaccharides (CPs) extracted from aerial parts (CP-A) and roots (CP-R) with respect to their compositional features and cytoprotective effects in an oxygen–glucose deprivation/reperfusion (OGD/R)-induced H9c2 cell injury model. CP-A and CP-R differed in molecular weight distribution and monosaccharide composition, with CP-R exhibiting a higher molecular weight and fructose content. Despite these differences, both fractions significantly improved cell viability and reduced oxidative and biochemical injury markers. Integrated proteomic and transcriptomic analyses indicated that CP-A and CP-R were associated with the modulation of stress-responsive signaling networks, prominently involving oxidative stress-linked MAPK/NF-κB pathways. These findings demonstrate comparable cytoprotective activities of polysaccharide-rich fractions from roots and aerial parts and support the valorization of chicory aerial biomass as a potential source of functional ingredients for cardiovascular health. Full article

Time-series interferometric synthetic aperture radar (TS-InSAR) has become a widely used technique for monitoring surface deformation with high spatial and temporal resolution. The recent rise in cloud-based InSAR platforms has significantly accelerated the production of interferograms. However, the accuracy of deformation inversion remains limited by fundamental issues affecting interferogram quality, including temporal and spatial decorrelation and phase unwrapping errors. These degrading effects are most pronounced in vegetated, desert, and snow-covered terrains, which are common in active tectonic zones and thereby exert a major impact on the quality of the unwrapped phase. Traditional quality control methods are inefficient or inadequate for large-scale analysis, and discarding low-quality data reduces the inversion accuracy. To address these limitations, we developed a deep learning-based approach to automatically assess interferogram quality and integrate it into the time-series InSAR inversion workflow. We utilized Sentinel-1 interferograms generated by the COMET-LiCSAR system as the primary data source. Based on this dataset, we developed a multi-stage selection strategy for interferogram quality control, integrating loop phase closure analysis, statistical indicators (including coherence and phase standard deviation), and manual verification. As a result, we constructed a high-quality labeled dataset comprising approximately 20,000 samples. An improved ConvNeXt-InSAR model was designed and trained to automatically quantify the quality of each pixel in individual interferograms. The model generates pixel-wise quality maps, which are then incorporated as weight constraints in the time-series InSAR network inversion. The proposed method was applied to the interseismic deformation reconstruction in the central-southern Tibetan Plateau region. This study highlights the potential of deep learning-based interferogram quality assessment in facilitating large-scale, automated time-series InSAR processing. Full article

A new series of polyamides (PAs) employing two phenolic natural compounds as starting materials, eugenol and chavicol, has been successfully prepared. The synthesis was carried out through a solvent-free protocol using the environmentally friendly organocatalyst 1,5,7-triazabicyclo[4.4.0]dec-3-ene (TBD). The obtained materials have been properly characterized. Moreover, the prepared materials, all of them amorphous, showed a wide range of transition temperatures (T_gs) depending on the structure of the diester counterpart used in the polymerization reaction. In addition, the influence of the methoxy group present in eugenol on the thermal properties of the resulting polyamides was studied. The synthesized polyamides demonstrated excellent thermal stability, high hydrophobicity, and great dimensional integrity. Furthermore, the obtained polymers could be depolymerized under alkaline hydrolysis conditions to yield, with good to excellent recovery ratios, the corresponding starting diamine monomer, which could eventually be used in the synthesis of new polymers. Closed-loop chemical recycling emerges as a sustainable alternative to conventional end-of-life management strategies for discarded polymers, while also constituting a promising pathway to mitigate the accumulation of polyamide (PA) waste. Full article

Synthetic microfibres released during textile drying are considered an emerging source of microplastic pollution, yet this waste stream is generally discarded without treatment. This study investigates a valorisation route by incorporating waste dryer-filter microfibres into a potassium-based/metakaolin geopolymeric coating for architectural applications, with the dual objective of preventing environmental release and enhancing material performance. Geopolymer pastes containing 0.1–0.3 wt.% of synthetic microfibres were characterised in terms of physical, mechanical and microstructural behaviour. Microfibre addition produced a marked toughening effect, with flexural strength increasing from about 3 MPa for the unreinforced matrix to 7.5 MPa for the composite containing 0.3 wt.% fibres, while compressive strength decreased moderately due to the presence of a compliant fibrous phase. Microstructural observations confirmed fibre dispersion and fibre–matrix bonding, supporting crack-bridging mechanisms. Density, porosity and water absorption measurements indicated a stable geopolymer gel structure with a connected pore network. Thin-layer applications onto clay brick exhibited satisfactory workability and adhesion, confirmed by pull-off testing (~0.12 MPa) and interfacial microscopy. The results demonstrate that textile-derived microfibres can be effectively immobilised within a potassium geopolymer matrix while improving flexural performance, offering a feasible circular strategy for microfibre waste reuse in mineral coatings. Full article

Electronic waste (e-waste) has emerged as one of the most critical environmental challenges of the twenty-first century. It encompasses a wide range of discarded electrical and electronic equipment, including information and communication technologies, household appliances, entertainment systems, and related components. While e-waste contains valuable recoverable materials, it also harbours hazardous substances such as toxic heavy metals, flame retardants, and persistent organic pollutants. Inadequate disposal practices, particularly open dumping and landfilling, result in the generation of toxic leachates that contaminate soil as well as surface and groundwater, posing severe threats to environmental integrity and public health. Evidence indicates that landfill leachates can infiltrate groundwater at considerable depths, exceeding permissible limits of heavy metals and metalloids and contributing to serious health disorders. Consequently, the implementation of effective e-waste management strategies and environmentally sound disposal practices is imperative to minimize its detrimental environmental and human health impacts. Microalgae systems can achieve up to 98% removal efficiency and up to five cycles reusability. In this paper, the drawbacks of the traditional methods for metal recovery from e-waste and the potential of microalgae were discussed. The downstream processing and metal extraction from microalgal biomass is critically discussed as well as strategies to support the circular economy. Full article

Global challenges in food security and sustainable biomass management highlight the need to diversify resource streams that can supply accessible, safe, and environmentally responsible protein. Delonix regia (flamboyant) seed germ (FG) represents an abundant but largely underutilized biomass resource in tropical and subtropical regions, where its seeds are routinely discarded as green waste. This study assesses the resource potential of FG by evaluating its nutritional composition, safety profile, and suitability for integration into sustainable protein provision strategies. The FG fraction was recovered from locally available seed residues and analyzed to determine their proximate composition, essential amino acid profile, and antinutrient content, providing insights into the qualitative attributes of this emerging resource. Safety was examined through in vivo acute toxicity assays and detailed histopathological evaluation of hepatic and renal tissues of CD1/ICR strain female mice, which revealed no morphological indicators of toxicity, inflammation, or cellular damage. The results indicate that FG contains a high protein concentration (78.35%) with a favorable essential amino acid pattern, supporting its potential as a renewable and locally accessible plant-based protein source. Beyond its nutritional value, the valorization of FG contributes to resource efficiency, waste-to-value pathways, and circular economy approaches by transforming an abundant municipal biomass residue into a functional component for sustainable food systems. Overall, the study underscores the feasibility of integrating FG into resource diversification strategies, enhancing protein availability while reducing environmental burdens associated with biomass disposal. Full article

The growing volume of waste electrical and electronic equipment presents both an environmental challenge and an opportunity for recovering critical raw materials embedded in discarded products. While recycling technologies are advancing, effective recovery remains strongly constrained by upstream collection systems, particularly in urban contexts subject to uncertainty, capacity limits, and regulatory constraints. This paper examines WEEE collection as a key lever for supporting sustainable critical-metal recovery in Europe. Methodologically, the study combines a Scopus-based bibliometric mapping and an institutional analysis of EU collection arrangements with the development of a robust multi-period mixed-integer linear programming model. After analysing organisational and regulatory arrangements in Poland and Portugal as illustrative cases, the paper introduces the Robust Multi-Period WEEE Allocation and Rare Metal Accumulation Problem (MP-WARMAP). The model integrates uncertain WEEE availability, intertemporal logistics planning, threshold-based rare-metal accumulation with endogenous sale timing, and a binding transport-related emission cap. Computational experiments show that robustness against inflow uncertainty can be achieved at a relatively low economic cost, that emission regulation exhibits a feasibility-threshold effect, and that capacity constraints may dominate price signals in determining recovery timing. The results highlight the importance of collection-system design and operational feasibility for improving the recovery of critical materials from urban WEEE streams. Full article

Sustainability is a major challenge for global food systems, particularly in the context of food loss and waste. Approximately one-third of food produced worldwide (1.3 billion tons annually) is lost or wasted, contributing to 8–10% of global greenhouse gas emissions, with a large share occurring during post-harvest handling and food processing. These stages generate by-products such as shells, skins, pulp, stems, and seeds, which can account for 30–50% of raw materials. Although often discarded, these residues are rich in valuable bioactive compounds, including phenolics, peptides, carotenoids, fibers, secondary metabolites, minerals, amino acids, and vitamins. This review emphasizes the valorization of agrifood by-products as a pathway toward sustainability and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It encompasses extraction methods, characterization, and potential uses of such active compounds in the food, pharmaceutical, packaging, and cosmetic sectors. Moreover, it examines the interaction between valuing agrifood by-products and key SDGs like eliminating hunger (SDG 2), ensuring good health and well-being (SDG 3), promoting affordable and clean energy (SDG 7), promoting economic growth and decent work (SDG 8), ensuring responsible consumption and production (SDG 12), and tackling climate action (SDG 13). These approaches have high potential to improve food security and economic sustainability of the world’s food systems. Full article

The longest-standing international treaty for wetland and waterbird protection, the Ramsar Convention has resulted in the establishment of more than 2500 protected areas covering over 2.5 million square kilometers around the world. However, its measures are not legally binding, and its effectiveness as a tool for wildlife conservation has rarely been quantitatively assessed. In Benin, West Africa, breeding waterbirds are subjected to intense hunting and egg harvesting for both commercial and subsistence purposes. We quantified count data of waterbirds and eggs taken by local hunters and trappers to assess the effectiveness of the Ramsar Convention as a wildlife conservation tool in southeastern Benin. During the six-month period between May and October 2022, 64 people reported harvesting a total of 12,053 breeding waterbirds and 63,987 eggs, comprising eight species in three families in Ramsar site 1018. Birds most heavily targeted included Allen’s Gallinule (Porphyrio alleni), with 4187 breeding birds taken (~35% of all birds captured), and the White-faced Whistling Duck (Dendrocygna viduata), with 24,491 eggs taken (~38% of all eggs taken) over the course of a single breeding season. The Eurasian Moorhen (Gallinula chloropus) and Lesser Moorhen (Paragallinula angulata) were the third and fourth most targeted bird species, respectively, followed by the African Swamphen (Porphyrio madagascariensis), Black Crake (Zapornia flavirostra), African Jacana (Actophilornis africanus), and African Crake (Cecropsis egregia). Captured waterbirds were sold live at local markets, while eggs were eaten by hunters, except eggs containing chicks, which were discarded. Our findings show heavy persecution of waterbirds during their breeding season, when nesting birds are especially vulnerable to human predation, on a scale that is likely unprecedented and threatens to drive declines of targeted species in Benin. As local residents do not currently appear to recognize any deterrents to the uncontrolled hunting of breeding waterbirds or the collection of eggs in Ramsar site 1018, there is an urgent need to better leverage the Ramsar Convention to enforce conservation practices in this region. Full article