Search Results (8,082)

Biochar derived from açaí (Euterpe oleracea Mart.) processing residues represents a sustainable strategy to improve fertility and mitigate acidity in highly weathered tropical soils. This study evaluated the effects of açaí biochar (0 and 12 Mg ha⁻¹), combined with dolomitic limestone (0, 75%, and 100% of the recommended rate), on chemical, biological, and agronomic attributes of a clayey Ferralsol cultivated with cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp) in the Amazon. A field experiment was conducted in a randomized block design with six treatments and four replicates. Soil samples were collected from the rhizosphere and from the 0–5, 5–10, and 10–20 cm layers to determine pH, exchangeable Al, pseudo-total concentrations of K, Ca, Mg, total carbon (TC), organic carbon (OC), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), β-glucosidase, and cellulase activity. Biochar increased soil pH (0–10 cm), reduced exchangeable Al, and increased pseudo-total K throughout the soil profile, whereas liming primarily increased Ca and Mg availability and contributed to acidity correction. A significant biochar × lime interaction was observed for exchangeable Al in surface layers, while Mg responses varied depending on depth and treatment combination. Biochar also enhanced cellulase activity, total carbon (TC), and microbial biomass carbon (MBC), while reducing β-glucosidase in surface layers, with no effect on organic carbon (OC) determined by the Walkley–Black method. Cowpea grain yield increased by 16% with biochar and showed additive response to lime, reaching 1460 kg ha⁻¹ under combined application, 13.6% higher than lime alone. These results indicate that açaí biochar acts as a complementary amendment for improving soil fertility, biological functioning, and crop performance in acidic tropical soils. Full article

Lead (Pb) is a persistent and highly toxic heavy metal that poses significant ecological and human health risks due to its high bioaccumulation potential. In this study, nitrogen-doped biochar (NBC) was synthesized from straw-derived biochar via ball-milling and ammonium nitrate modification to remediate Pb-contaminated soil. Batch adsorption experiments demonstrated that the adsorption process was best described by the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating monolayer adsorption. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) revealed that Pb(II) immobilization by NBC occurred through multiple mechanisms, primarily precipitation and complexation with hydroxyl and pyrrolic-N functional groups. Subsequent pot experiments confirmed that NBC outperformed pristine biochar (BC) in reducing Pb bioavailability. This superior performance was attributed to the ability of NBC to increase soil pore water pH and significantly decrease soil redox potential (Eh). Moreover, compared to the control, a 5% NBC treatment (NBC2) significantly increased soil organic matter (SOM) by 136.24% while concurrently increasing soil available nitrogen (SAN), phosphorus (SAP), and potassium (SAK) by 46.91%, 75.72%, and 42.79%, respectively. Microbiological analyses indicated that NBC application enhanced soil alpha diversity (Chao1, ACE, and Shannon indices) and enriched beneficial bacterial phyla, such as Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. Random forest analysis identified the acid-soluble Pb fraction and SOM as the main drivers of bacterial operational taxonomic unit (OTU) composition. Specifically, NBC increased the relative abundance of the family Hungateiclostridiaceae, which may promote soil sulfide production and facilitate the precipitation of Pb into highly insoluble forms, further reducing its mobility and toxicity. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that NBC is a promising soil amendment that leverages both physicochemical and microbial pathways to immobilize Pb, mitigate environmental toxicity, and restore soil ecological health. Full article

Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/chitosan (CS)-based films incorporated with Antrodia cinnamomea polysaccharide (ACP) and tea tree essential oil (TTEO) were developed using a solution casting method. The physicochemical, bioactive, and structural attributes, as well as the effects of these films on post-harvest ‘Yuluxiang’ pears, were assessed. The results demonstrated strong interactions among all functional components. The integration of ACP reinforced the mechanical properties of PVA/CS-based films, whereas the combined incorporation of ACP/TTEO enhanced water resistance, ultraviolet-light shielding ability, and barrier performance against oxygen and water vapor. Contact angle measurements showed that the PVA/CS/ACP/TTEO composite film exhibited superior wettability and adhesion to pear surfaces. Furthermore, the PVA/CS/ACP/TTEO composite film exhibited potent antibacterial activity, recording 99.99% inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and 99.91% against Escherichia coli. TGA and DTG analyses suggested that ACP improved the thermal stability and restricted the film’s degradation rate. Antioxidant assays revealed that the incorporation of ACP and TTEO markedly elevated the antioxidant ability of the PVA/CS-based film. After 21 days of storage, the PVA/CS/ACP/TTEO composite film effectively maintained firmness, titratable acidity, vitamin C levels, and the activities of superoxide dismutase and catalase in post-harvest pears. Moreover, the composite film delayed fruit yellowing and oiliness, lowered the accumulation of hydrogen peroxide and malondialdehyde, and significantly reduced microbial counts (p < 0.05). This study demonstrates that the fabricated PVA/CS/ACP/TTEO composite film possesses the ability to extend the shelf life of perishable fruits under ambient storage conditions. Full article

Camel milk is increasingly recognized as a premium functional food, attributed to its rich nutraceutical compounds. Recent research has concentrated on the nanoscale extracellular vesicles derived from camel milk (CM-EVs), which exhibit distinctive properties. This review examines the methodologies for isolating and characterizing CM-EVs, alongside their potential health benefits in functional foods and nutraceuticals. CM-EVs have the capacity to safeguard functional proteins, noncoding RNAs, and bioactive lipids from degradation within the gastrointestinal tract, rendering them particularly suitable for incorporation into infant formulas, adult dietary supplements, and nutraceuticals targeting chronic inflammatory and metabolic disorders. Preclinical models indicate that CM-EVs can mitigate oxidative stress, enhance intestinal barrier integrity, and modulate gut microbiota, thereby contributing to the reduction in colonic injury and inflammation. Nonetheless, the majority of these findings are derived from laboratory and animal studies, highlighting a substantial deficiency in human clinical trials. Critical research gaps remain, necessitating further investigation into the elucidation of molecular mechanisms, assessment of long-term safety, evaluation of bioavailability, and compatibility with dairy processing techniques. This review underscores the significance of CM-EVs as bioactive food components and delineates research priorities, such as standardizing isolation methods, investigating food matrix integration, and providing translational evidence for their application in nutrition and preventive medicine. Full article

Stretchable conductive composites are important for soft electronics, wearable systems, and adaptive electromechanical devices, yet the mechanisms governing strain-dependent electrical transport remain insufficiently understood, particularly in hybrid filler systems. In this work, the strain-dependent electromechanical behavior of graphite–silicone and hybrid graphite–copper–silicone composites was investigated under uniaxial tensile deformation up to 60% strain. Electrical measurements revealed distinct transport behaviors governed by filler composition and conductive network structure. Graphite-only composites containing 50 wt% and 60 wt% graphite exhibited monotonic resistance increases with increasing strain due to progressive widening of inter-particle tunneling gaps between neighboring graphite platelets. In contrast, hybrid graphite–copper composites showed monotonic resistance decreases under deformation, which is attributed to Poisson-ratio-driven transverse contraction, tunneling-gap reduction, and strain-assisted formation of Cu–Cu and Cu–graphite conductive pathways. Representative volume element (RVE)-based simulations further supported the proposed transport interpretation. From an engineering design perspective, the results show that filler composition and conductive network architecture can be used as design variables to tune strain-dependent electrical responses in stretchable conductive composites. These findings provide design guidance for developing silicone-based conductive composites with tunable electromechanical functionality for soft electronics, wearable sensors, and adaptive devices. Full article

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of incorporating button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) powder (5% and 10%, w/w) and two expansion methods (deep-fat frying and Fmicrowaving) on the nutritional, bioactive, sensory, and physical properties of third-generation snacks. Mushroom addition increased the contents of protein, raw fiber, ash and polyphenols compounds, particularly caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid derivatives. The highest nutritional value was observed in microwave-expanded snacks containing 10% mushroom powder, which showed increased protein (4.59%), ash (2.5%) and raw fiber (3.31%) contents combined with very low fat level (0.14%) Microwave expansion promoted better retention of bioactive compounds with the highest total polyphenol content reaching 195.48 mg/kg. Instrumental sensory analyses revealed that mushroom addition intensified bitter and metallic taste attributes and enhanced roasted and earthy aroma notes associated with increased levels of pyrazines, phenols, alcohols, and acids. Moreover, mushroom incorporation reduced expansion at higher inclusion levels, altered texture, and caused a darker color. Overall, dried mushroom powder proved to be an effective potential functional ingredient that improved the nutritional and antioxidant value of third-generation snacks, while microwave expansion offered superior retention of bioactive compounds and more favorable physical characteristics. Full article

From the late 19th to the early 20th century, clock towers—as key physical manifestations of the modern urban public timekeeping system—gradually took on diverse forms within the urban development of Japan’s Meiji period. In 1903, Zhang Jian travelled to Japan to study its industrial and educational systems; upon his return, he promoted the construction of several public clock towers in Nantong, establishing them as a significant spatial typology in the local modernisation process. Drawing on Zhang Jian’s itinerary during his visit to Japan and case studies of clock towers in Nantong, and supported by existing literature and historical materials, this paper conducts a typological comparative analysis of clock tower types from Japan’s Meiji period and their possible counterparts in Nantong. Through a comparison of architectural forms, spatial organisation and functional attributes, this paper seeks to explore the pathways of translation and adaptive changes in the form of modern Japanese clock towers within local Chinese contexts. The research indicates that, in terms of overall form, the Nantong Clock Tower exhibits a certain degree of comparability with some types of public clock towers from Japan’s Meiji period, whilst simultaneously displaying distinct features of localised adaptation in terms of scale, materials and functional integration. The available evidence suggests that this should be understood as a process of adaptive reconstruction of a cross-cultural architectural typology within a local context, rather than a direct correspondence with a single source. Full article

Selective androgen receptor modulators (SARMs) are commonly described as tissue-selective anabolic agents, yet the extent to which this selectivity is reflected at the level of receptor-binding energetics remains uncertain. This study evaluated the receptor interaction profiles of the steroidal SARM YK11 and the nonsteroidal SARM ostarine across five steroid hormone nuclear receptors. Flexible molecular docking was performed with AutoDock 4.2 against the androgen (AR), estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), glucocorticoid (GR), and mineralocorticoid (MR) receptors, using testosterone, estradiol, progesterone, cortisol, and aldosterone as endogenous reference ligands. Binding free energy, docking-derived inhibition constants, intermolecular interaction energies, conformational sampling, and two-dimensional interaction maps were analyzed. Ostarine showed favorable binding across all receptor systems, with binding energies ranging from −10.42 to −12.05 kcal/mol and no pronounced energetic preference for the androgen receptor. YK11 displayed stronger predicted binding, particularly toward the glucocorticoid, progesterone, and androgen receptors, with a docking energy trend of GR > PR > AR > MR > ER. Interaction analysis revealed conserved polar anchoring residues across receptor pockets, together with scaffold-specific contacts that may explain cross-receptor compatibility. These findings indicate that, within the AutoDock 4.2 flexible docking framework applied in this study, docking-derived binding energies primarily describe thermodynamic compatibility with nuclear receptor ligand-binding domains and should not be interpreted as direct predictors of functional SARM tissue selectivity. The observed discordance between predicted receptor affinity and the established tissue-selective pharmacology of ostarine highlights the need for caution when using single-method docking workflows to infer selectivity among closely related steroid hormone receptors. The novelty of this study lies in demonstrating, using a defined AutoDock 4.2-based comparative protocol, that receptor-binding energetics alone do not recapitulate the functional tissue-selective behavior attributed to SARMs. Full article

Propolis, a resinous substance biosynthesized by honeybees from plant exudates and beeswax, has been valued for centuries in traditional medicine and is now increasingly recognized as a promising natural bioactive compound for functional food applications. Its complex phytochemical profile, mainly comprising flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenoids, confers potent antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties that position it as a compelling candidate for use as a natural food preservative and bioactive additive. Despite this considerable potential, the widespread incorporation of propolis into food systems remains largely constrained by two main physicochemical limitations: its intense characteristic aroma, attributable to volatile terpenes and phenolic esters, which adversely affects sensory acceptance, and its inherent hydrophobicity, which prevents uniform dispersion in aqueous food matrices. This review critically examines three major technological strategies developed to overcome these barriers: (i) microencapsulation employing biopolymer wall materials, including alginate, chitosan, whey protein, and arabic gum, to mask organoleptic properties and enable controlled release; (ii) nanoemulsification to enhance water dispersibility and improve oral bioavailability; and (iii) the formulation of water-soluble propolis extracts through polyethylene glycol-based solvents or cyclodextrin complexation. In addition, this review provides a comprehensive assessment of the global chemical diversity of propolis and its bioactive properties as they relate to food preservation efficacy. Notwithstanding recent technological advances, critical research gaps persist regarding optimal effective concentrations, validated delivery systems, and scalable formulation strategies necessary for commercial food-grade applications. Addressing these gaps is essential for propolis to fulfill its considerable potential as a safe, widely accepted, and commercially viable natural food additive in next-generation functional food systems. Full article

In recent years, with the significant decline in fine particulate matter (PM_2.5) concentrations, ozone (O₃) has emerged as a major composite air pollutant during the warm season in China, attracting increasing attention due to its associated health burden and economic costs. This study focuses on Tianjin, using ozone monitoring data from 2017 to 2023 combined with health statistics to assess the health impacts and economic losses attributable to ozone pollution. First, ozone exposure indicators and compliance criteria were constructed based on national air quality standards, and the interannual variation and spatial differences of O₃ levels were analyzed at both citywide and district scales. Second, multiple machine learning classification models, including logistic regression, decision tree, k-nearest neighbors, and gradient boosting, were developed using ozone and meteorological variables to predict the occurrence risks of five diseases: cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD), influenza, and dengue fever. Finally, excess cases were estimated using health impact functions, and the associated economic losses were quantified by combining the value of a statistical life (VSL) with cost-of-illness and willingness-to-pay (WTP) approaches. The results showed that the annual evaluation value of ozone in Tianjin, defined as the 90th percentile of the daily maximum 8 h average O₃ concentration, exhibited a pattern of initially increasing, then decreasing, and subsequently rebounding. It peaked at 201 µg/m³ in 2018, declined to a minimum of 164 µg/m³ in 2021, and rebounded to 188 µg/m³ in 2023. Machine-learning results indicated that the logistic regression model showed relatively stable overall performance across predictions of different diseases, while the gradient boosting tree model also achieved high accuracy in predicting certain infectious diseases. Overall, ozone pollution exhibits significant heterogeneous effects across different disease types, and the associated health-related economic losses show stage-wise fluctuations in response to pollution levels. Based on these findings, it is recommended to implement refined control measures during periods of high ozone exceedance and in key regions, while strengthening protection for vulnerable populations such as the elderly, children, and patients with respiratory diseases, in order to achieve synergistic improvements in air quality management and public health outcomes. Full article

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) triggers secondary injury processes involving neuroinflammation and systemic immune remodeling. The endocannabinoid system (ECS) has been implicated in neuroimmune regulation, but its transcriptional relationship with immune remodeling and its translational relevance in human SCI blood remain incompletely defined. Methods: A cross-species discovery–validation–translation framework was applied using a rat spinal cord discovery cohort (GSE45006), an independent mouse validation cohort (GSE171441), and a human peripheral white blood cell cohort (GSE151371). Analyses included differential expression profiling, ECS-focused assessment, cross-species comparison, immune-cell signature scoring, ECS–immune correlation analysis, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, LASSO-based biomarker prioritization, network analysis, disease enrichment, drug–gene interaction querying, and transcription factor/microRNA regulatory annotation. Results: ECS-related transcriptional remodeling was identified across rodent and human datasets in a compartment-dependent manner. In human SCI blood, CNR2, PTGS2, and DAGLB were significantly altered and showed biomarker-prioritization potential. Human SCI blood also showed innate immune enrichment, adaptive immune depletion, and significant ECS–immune correlations. The integrated 28-gene SCI–ECS immune panel formed a functionally coherent protein–protein interaction (PPI) network enriched in immune-response pathways. Disease enrichment supported an immune/inflammatory pathological context, whereas DGIdb identified hypothesis-generating drug–gene relationships involving ECS-related targets. ChEA 2022 revealed nominal transcription factor annotations that did not survive multiple-testing correction, and miRNet identified database-derived miRNA regulators of panel genes. In a secondary sensitivity analysis, the combined ECS signature also retained discriminatory performance against non-CNS trauma controls, suggesting that the observed transcriptional pattern was not fully attributable to generalized trauma-related responses. Conclusions: This study proposes an ECS-associated immune remodeling signature in SCI with translational biomarker-prioritization and pharmacologic target-annotation context in human peripheral blood. These findings are exploratory and require prospective and functional validation. Full article

Recidivism prediction is increasingly embedded in criminal justice decision-making, yet most deployed systems remain opaque and have been shown to exhibit discriminatory behavior against certain demographic groups. This paper presents a fairness-aware interpretable framework for recidivism prediction applied to three real-world datasets from Bulgaria, Greece, and Portugal. The classification core relies on a 1-Dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN), trained by a custom objective function that embeds the Equalized Odds fairness criterion as an L1-regularized penalty reflecting on gender-based disparities in false positive and false negative rates. Model-level interpretability is provided through Kernel SHAP, which decomposes individual predictions into additive feature attributions grounded in cooperative game theory. Experiments across prediction tasks, each evaluated over randomized runs, demonstrate that the baseline model exhibits statistically significant bias against the female group in all datasets. The fairness-constrained model substantially reduces these disparities across all tasks at a moderate and expected cost to classification accuracy. Kernel SHAP analysis reveals the relative contribution of static and dynamic offenders’ attributes to individual risk scores, supporting auditability and contestability. The proposed framework advances the integration of predictive performance, algorithmic fairness, and structural interpretability in criminal justice analytics. Full article

Lead (Pb²⁺) and cadmium (Cd²⁺) are among the most hazardous heavy metal pollutants in wastewater owing to their high toxicity, environmental persistence, and detrimental impacts on human health and aquatic ecosystems. In this study, a novel ternary magnetic composite, SnFe₂O₄/activated carbon/polypyrrole (SnFe₂O₄/AC/PPy), was effectively synthesized and tested as an effective adsorbent in the removal of Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ from aqueous water. The composite was prepared by depositing spinel SnFe₂O₄ nanoparticles on activated carbon, followed by in situ polymerization of polypyrrole to enhance surface functionality and adsorption affinity. The successful fabrication of the porous SnFe₂O₄/AC/PPy hybrid composite was confirmed through FTIR, XRD, SEM–EDS, BET, XPS, and VSM characterization. The composite demonstrated a relatively high surface area (352.3 m²/g) and adequate magnetic responsiveness (12.33 emu/g), ensuring facile magnetic separation following wastewater treatment. Batch adsorption experiments showed great removal efficiency of 95.02 and 92.48% for Pb²⁺ and Cd²⁺ ions, respectively, at optimum conditions. The adsorption equilibrium data followed the Langmuir isotherm model with maximum adsorption capacities of 187.07 mg/g for Pb²⁺ and 96.45 mg/g for Cd²⁺ ions, which were attributed to monolayer adsorption on homogenous active sites. The kinetic and isothermal model indicated that the adsorption process was controlled by the combination of physical and chemical interactions. Thermodynamic parameters showed negative Gibbs free energy and enthalpy changes (ΔH° = −49.74 kJ/mol for Pb²⁺ and −38.82 kJ/mol for Cd²⁺ ions), confirming the spontaneous and exothermic nature of adsorption. Furthermore, the increasingly negative ΔG° values at lower temperatures indicated that the adsorption was thermodynamically more favorable under cooler conditions. According to the regeneration studies, the composite maintained a high removal efficiency after five consecutive cycles. In general, SnFe₂O₄/AC/PPy composite has good potential as a stable, reusable, and high-performance adsorbent to treat heavy metal wastewater. Full article

Decades of cultivation and the often exclusive use of mineral fertilisers as a substitute for organic inputs have reduced the soil organic carbon (SOC) content of agricultural soils, meaning they now represent a potential sink for carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change and improve soil function. As well as being a legacy of management, SOC will also be dependent on local scale climate, topography, and soil properties; accounting for this local context is important when benchmarking fields and quantifying the potential for additional carbon sequestration. We developed a landscape-scale methodology, using a handheld infrared device, for baselining SOC stocks in the top 30 cm across a 45,000 ha farm cluster in the UK. The cluster is exploring opportunities for landscape-scale environmental improvement with a focus on natural flood protection and water pollution reduction through conversion of arable land to permanent grassland. We used the baseline data to estimate additional benefits of arable reversion for soil carbon sequestration. Because all the farms in the cluster share the same pedoclimatic conditions, variance in SOC at the field scale could be confidently attributed to differences in soil type and land use. Average SOC stocks in arable and permanent pasture fields were 103.9 and 140.3 Mg C ha⁻¹, respectively. Variance in %SOC was modelled using soil series, sample depth, land use, and clay content, and fields were benchmarked based on deviation from the expected value. The fields with the largest SOC stocks were identified and used as references to predict future potential sequestration. The conversion of arable land to permanent pasture resulted in a predicted average uplift in SOC of 55.0 Mg C ha⁻¹. Our landscape-scale methodology provides robust evidence on current and future carbon stocks for public subsidy schemes and natural capital markets that account for local constraints and opportunities. Full article

Background/Objectives: Patellofemoral joint (PFJ) replacement is a bone-preserving option for isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis; however, reported survivorship and failure patterns remain variable. This study evaluated implant survivorship, functional outcomes, reoperations, and failure mechanisms following PFJ replacement using standard second-generation implant systems, with or without patellar resurfacing. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed a consecutive cohort of 39 patients (48 knees) who underwent PFJ replacement for isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis between 2011 and 2021. Median age at surgery was 59 years, and median body mass index (BMI) was 31 kg/m². Median follow-up for clinical and revision surveillance was 9 years (IQR 8–10). Functional outcomes were assessed using the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and SF-12 Physical and Mental Component Scores (PCS and MCS). Implant survivorship was analyzed using Kaplan–Meier methodology, with conversion to total knee arthroplasty (TKA) as the endpoint. Statistical analyses were primarily descriptive and exploratory because only five TKA revisions occurred. Results: Median OKS improved from 19 (IQR 16–24) preoperatively to 36 (IQR 24–42) at the latest follow-up, with a median paired improvement of 17 points. SF-12 PCS improved from 25 to 47, and SF-12 MCS from 36 to 55. Eight knees (16.7%) underwent non-revision reoperation, and five knees (10.4%) underwent conversion to TKA. All TKA revisions were performed for the progression of tibiofemoral osteoarthritis. Kaplan–Meier survivorship free from TKA revision was 89.6% at 9 years (95% CI 76.8–95.5). No clear difference in TKA-free survivorship was detected between resurfaced and non-resurfaced knees. Conclusions: PFJ replacement demonstrated substantial functional improvement and mid- to long-term survivorship comparable to published registry ranges in a selected cohort with isolated patellofemoral osteoarthritis. TKA revision was uncommon and was attributable to the progression of tibiofemoral osteoarthritis. Because of the retrospective design, small cohort size, bilateral cases, and limited number of revision events, subgroup and risk-factor analyses should be interpreted as exploratory. Full article