Search Results (13,329)

Heavy metal and metalloid stress, particularly from toxic elements like cadmium (Cd), poses a growing threat to plant ecosystems, crop productivity, and global food security. Elevated concentrations of these contaminants can trigger cytotoxic and genotoxic effects in plants, severely impairing growth, development, and reproduction. In recent years, epigenetic mechanisms have emerged as crucial regulators of plant responses to heavy metal stress, offering novel insights and strategies for enhancing plant resilience in contaminated environments. This review synthesises current advances in the field of plant epigenetics, focusing on key modifications such as DNA methylation, histone acetylation and remodelling, chromatin dynamics, and small RNA-mediated regulation. These processes not only influence gene expression under metal-induced stress but also hold promise for long-term adaptation through transgenerational epigenetic memory. Recent developments in high-throughput sequencing and functional genomics have accelerated the identification of epigenetic markers associated with stress tolerance, enabling the integration of these markers into breeding programs and targeted epigenome editing strategies. Special attention is given to cadmium stress responses, where specific epigenetic traits have been linked to enhanced tolerance. As plant epigenomic research progresses, its application in sustainable agriculture becomes increasingly evident offering environmentally friendly solutions to mitigate the impact of heavy metal pollution. This review provides a foundation for future research aimed at leveraging epigenetic tools to engineer crops capable of thriving under metal stress, thereby contributing to resilient agricultural systems and sustainable food production. Full article

Although fast-paced ongoing industrial growth, on the one hand, enhances the lifestyle of the population, on the other hand, it affects human health and the environment as a result of the discharge of pollutants. To address this, designing a novel and effective photocatalyst is necessary to mitigate increasing environmental pollutants. In the present work, we aim to synthesize a single-phase high-entropy zirconate pyrochlore oxide (Ce_0.2Pr_0.2Zn_0.2Nd_0.2Tb_0.2)₂Zr₂O₇ using a modified Pechini method. The physicochemical properties of the prepared nanoparticles were investigated using X-ray diffraction, UV-visible spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The photocatalytic properties were examined using cationic dye (methylene blue), anionic dye (Congo red), and Cr(VI). Photocatalytic degradation experiments demonstrate exceptional efficiency in the removal of persistent organic pollutants. The photocatalytic results indicate that the prepared high-entropy (Ce_0.2Pr_0.2Zn_0.2Nd_0.2Tb_0.2)₂Zr₂O₇ zirconate pyrochlore oxide could effectively degrade dyes and reduce Cr(VI). Radical trapping experiments indicate that the degradation of dyes was driven by the hydroxyl radicals, superoxide radicals, and holes. Furthermore, the position of the valence band and conduction band promoted efficient photocatalytic reaction kinetics. The prepared photocatalyst remains structurally stable and can be reused three times without losing activity. Full article

Background: Developing clinically relevant experimental models of the human airway can significantly advance our understanding of the mechanisms underlying airway diseases and aid in translating potential therapies to clinical settings. The aim of this study is to establish an ex vivo human airway tissue culture model. Methods: Human donor airway tissues were obtained from clinical cases of lung transplantation. Our established method is based on the concept of scavenging metabolic activity and controlling bacterial growth and includes increased media volume, frequent media exchange, and antifungal additives to efficiently maintain the homeostatic culture environment. After a 3-day culture period, the airway was investigated, and its viability and function were compared with a standard cell culture method. Results: Control tissue exhibited significant acidosis after 3 days, suggesting high metabolic activity of airway tissue and bacterial contamination. The airway epithelial viability—after culturing in our established method for 3 days—was better than that of the controls. We only performed an acute but early investigation of the cultures as airway complications have been known to start early at the proximal bronchus after transplantation. H&E and alcian blue staining showed intact morphology of the epithelium of airway tissue and mucus layers after 3 days in our model, while controls showed remarkable damage to the epithelial layer. Newly synthesized glycoproteins were detected in the epithelial layer using metabolic labeling and the click chemistry technique, suggesting cellular protein synthesis of the airway tissue in our established ex vivo model. Conclusions: We successfully established a reproducible model of human ex vivo airway tissue culture (n = 3 independent biological samples) that may be useful for investigating airway complications and developing their therapies. Full article

The cardinal Physiology of Gut Health in monogastric animals such as swine and poultry is vital. It is critical for digestive efficiency, immune status, and production levels. This system is related not only to the digestion and absorption of nutrients from feed ingredients contributing to growth and feed utilization efficiency but also to having a strategic microbiota that supports immunity and pathogen resistance, as well as metabolic support. Gut disease, for example, bacterial, viral, or parasitic infection, diet, or stress, can reduce nutrient digestion and absorption. They can also suppress the immune system and render patients more prone to disease. These are efficiency degradations and increase veterinary and husbandry costs. In addition, nutrient absorption because of deteriorated gut health can affect the environment in different ways: removal of nutrients through leaching and the release of gases (including CH₄ and NH₄). These pressures have led to a focus on the gut in animal research to improve the welfare of animals and ensure sustainable practices in animal production. Recent studies have included the use of probiotics, prebiotics, and other feed additives to enhance the positive effects of the gut microbiota. These are also intervention points to increase nutrient absorption and animal well-being, in turn sustainability. Such approaches are expected to promote a stable microbial community with less dependence on the use of antibiotics, less waste generation, and less environmental impact from animal farming. This review provides a critical evaluation of the current literature on gut health in monogastric livestock, with pigs and poultry as the principal focus. We also considered the impact of gut health on production efficiency and Environmental sustainability. Current progress in nutritional modulation of gut health for increased productivity, enhanced animal welfare, and better profitability are presented. Gut-related biological mechanisms are linked to practical nutritional strategies, and subsequently to animal welfare, production efficiency, and environmental effects, offering a coherent concept for moving from mechanism to system-level sustainability. Full article

This study addresses the limited integration of place-based education (PBE) into primary science learning, particularly regarding its potential to cultivate both cognitive understanding and emotional attachment to place—key dimensions of education for sustainability. Implemented in a rural Thai primary school, a ten-week (20-h) PBE program engaged Grade 6 students in locally relevant, hands-on activities grounded in Experiential Learning Theory and Social Learning Theory. Mixed-method analysis combined rubric-based scoring of a Sense of Place Assessment with qualitative content analysis of student reflections and group work. Post-intervention results showed that 84.21% of students achieved a high level of sense of place, with the strongest gains in place knowledge, followed by place dependence and place identity. Qualitative findings revealed three developmental pathways: sustained attachment through long-term experiences, growth from surface awareness to active participation, and limited emotional connection despite involvement. These patterns illustrate diverse routes through which PBE can foster environmental stewardship by linking personal meaning-making with collaborative action. Embedding PBE in authentic school contexts can enhance students’ capacity to value, care for, and improve their immediate environments, offering a transferable model for integrating sustainability-oriented learning across curricula. Full article

Recently, the live commerce market has experienced rapid growth, accompanied by increasingly intense competition. To improve business performance in this dynamic environment, it is essential to foster competent streamers and create effective commerce environments. Therefore, this study developed a research model based on the stimulus–organism–response (S-O-R) framework, focusing on streamer competencies and the commerce environment, to explore ways to effectively enhance live commerce business performance. Data for this study were collected through a questionnaire and analyzed using statistical techniques with 390 respondents. The results revealed that streamers’ competencies (expertise, demonstration skills, and interactive ability) significantly influence consumers’ internal states (perceived functional value of products and perceived trust in product recommendations), which in turn significantly influence purchase intentions. Moreover, the physical surroundings of the studio and the social surroundings, including peers’ perceptions of live commerce, were found to moderate the relationships between consumers’ internal states and their purchase intentions. This study holds academic significance in that it presents a model that effectively understands the mechanisms influencing viewers’ purchase decisions in live commerce contexts. The findings and practical implications discussed in this study are expected to provide valuable insights for developing strategies to enhance the performance of live commerce. Full article

Spartina alterniflora has become one of the most serious invasive species and competes with native Phragmites australis and Suaeda salsa in northern China. This study conducted controlled container experiments with no competition, intraspecific competition, two-species competition, and three-species competition to compare the growth conditions of Spartina alterniflora (ramet, genet, and mixture), Phragmites australis, and Suaeda salsa. Results showed the following: (1) Spartina alterniflora exhibited obviously stronger interspecific competitiveness than that interspecific competition (RY_ab > 1), with significant differences in height, basal diameter, number of blades, fresh weight, and dry weight (p < 0.05); (2) among reproductive strategies, Spartina alterniflora competitiveness followed the order of ramets > genets > mixture; (3) under multispecies competition, height, basal diameter, and number of blades of Spartina alterniflora showed significant differences (p < 0.05); (4) the competitiveness of Spartina alterniflora in height, basal diameter, and number of blades on native species followed the order Suaeda salsa > Phragmites > Suaeda salsa + Phragmites > competition > no competition. This study suggests the following: (1) controlling established ramets should be prioritized; (2) genet seedlings should be removed within the same year; (3) monitoring of genets should be strengthened. Furthermore, container conditions in this study may not fully capture field environments. Future research should integrate long-term field experiments, tidal gradients, and nutrient manipulations. Full article

This study examines the integration of digital fabrication technologies into the design and production of mycelium-based components, addressing the growing demand for sustainable and innovative interior design solutions. Using a parametric design approach, modular and customized suspended ceiling elements were developed for a specific interior setting to explore a material-specific design approach for mycelium-based components. Three-dimensional printing was employed to produce molds, which were subsequently tested with plaster, silicone, and mycelium across three different scales. Experimental observations focused on the overall form, surface details, growth behavior and dimensional accuracy, systematically capturing volumetric deviations arising from the living nature of the material. In parallel, acoustic performance was evaluated through simulations using the Sabine method. The untreated condition demonstrated the longest reverberation times, whereas conventional panels achieved reductions consistent with typical comfort standards. Prototypes produced with mycelium yielded measurable decreases in reverberation time compared to the untreated condition, particularly within the speech frequency range, and approached the performance of standard acoustic panels. These findings suggest that mycelium-based components, when further optimized in terms of density and geometry, hold the potential to contribute both aesthetic and acoustic value within sustainable interior environments. Full article

Tetracycline (TC), commonly utilized in medicine and aquaculture, frequently enters aquatic environments, raising ecological concerns. This study examined TC-contaminated wastewater treated through ultraviolet (UV), potassium persulfate (PS), and combined UV/PS disinfection processes. The degradation of TC followed pseudo-first-order kinetics, with removal efficiency ranked as UV/PS > UV > PS. High-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) identified 20 disinfection byproducts (DBPs) across all processes. Based on the identified intermediates, the degradation pathways of TC under different disinfection processes (UV, PS, and UV/PS) were elucidated. Using the ECOSAR program, both acute and chronic aquatic toxicities of TC and its DBPs were predicted. The biological effects on Chlorella were also investigated. DBPs from UV and PS treatments inhibited algal growth, reducing it by 4.8–9.4% relative to the control. Conversely, DBPs formed under UV/PS disinfection stimulated growth, increasing rates by 3.4–6.6%. To counteract oxidative stress from TC and its DBPs, Chlorella enhanced superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities. These findings highlight that while TC degradation occurs efficiently, the nature of DBPs and their ecological impacts vary significantly depending on the disinfection method. Overall, the UV/PS process not only improved TC removal but also reduced harmful effects on microalgal growth compared with UV or PS alone. Full article

With the rapid growth of wireless devices, security has become a key research concern in beyond-5G (B5G) and sixth-generation (6G) networks. Non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), one of the supporting technologies, is a strong contender to enable massive connectivity, increase spectrum efficiency, and guarantee high-quality access for a sizable user base. Furthermore, the scientific community has recently paid close attention to the effects of hardware impairments (HIs). The safe transmission of NOMA in a two-user uplink relay network is examined in this paper, taking into account both hardware limitations and the existence of listening devices. Each time frame in a mobile network environment comprises two phases in which users use a relay (R) to interact with the base station ($BS$). The research focuses on scenarios where a malicious device attempts to intercept the uplink signals transmitted by users through the R. Using important performance and security metrics, such as connection outage probability (COP), secrecy outage probability (SOP), and intercept probability (IP), system behavior is evaluated. To assess the system’s security and reliability under the proposed framework, closed-form analytical expressions are derived for SOP, IP, and COP. The simulation results provide the following insights: (i) they validate the accuracy of the derived analytical expressions; (ii) the study significantly deepens the understanding of secure NOMA uplink transmission under the influence of HIs across all the network entities, paving the way for future practical implementations; and (iii) the results highlight the superior performance of secure and reliable NOMA uplink systems compared to benchmark orthogonal multiple access (OMA) counterparts when both operate under the same HI conditions. Furthermore, an extended model without a relay is considered for comparison with the proposed relay-assisted scheme. Moreover, the numerical results indicate that the proposed communication model achieves over 90% reliability (with a COP below 0.1) and provides approximately a 30% improvement in SOP compared to conventional OMA-based systems under the same HI conditions. Full article

Micro and nano-plastics pose a significant threat to the global environment, affecting agricultural systems, food security, and human health. Some studies indicate that microplastics can induce physiological damage in plants, including oxidative stress, reduced germination, stunted biomass growth, and impaired photosynthesis. The extent of the damage varies depending on the type of microplastics, their size, and concentration. Moreover, micro- and nano-plastics can disturb the delicate balance of the soil microbiome. Microbial communities play a significant role in the health and functioning of ecosystems by facilitating nutrient turnover, breaking down organic matter, preserving soil integrity, and controlling diseases caused by soil-dwelling pathogens. This review highlights the role of omics technologies in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying plant responses to micro- and nanoplastics. The findings can enhance our comprehension of how micro- and nanoplastics affect agricultural systems when they contaminate soil. Full article

Black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) is the largest species of penaeid, being commercially cultured globally, ranking as the second most farmed species in the shrimp industry. However, with the transformation of shrimp aquaculture from semi-intensive to high-density farming, the concentration of ammonia nitrogen in the aquatic environment has increased, severely affecting the growth and survival of shrimps. To increase production efficiency, breeding new strains of shrimp with the trait of tolerance to high ammonia nitrogen is desired in the black tiger shrimp aquaculture. Previous studies have shown that glutamate dehydrogenase (GDH) and aspartate aminotransferase 2 (AST2) play important roles in the metabolism of ammonia nitrogen in crustaceans. In the present study, we conducted synteny analysis of PmGDH and PmAST2 in different species. The interactions of PmGDH with ammonium (NH₄⁺) and PmAST2 with aspartate were analyzed by docking. To develop molecule markers associated with ammonia nitrogen tolerance, SNPs of PmGDH and PmAST2 were identified by direct sequencing, genotyped by the SNaPshot technique, and characterized through genotype-phenotype association analysis by PLINK software version 1.9 in the three geographical populations, two families with different ammonia tolerance, and 120 susceptible and resistant individuals of black tiger shrimp. The results indicate that the GDH and AST2 genes are evolutionarily conserved in vertebrates, except for the black tiger shrimp, which suggests divergence in selective pressure between invertebrates and vertebrates. Notably, PmGDH may interact with NH₄⁺ via the residue Asp178 within loop 1 in the GdhA domain through a hydrogen bonding interaction, and PmAST2 may interact with aspartate via helix 1, sheet 1, loop 1, and loop 2, through both hydrogen bonding interactions and a salt bridge interaction. A total of 12 SNPs were detected in the exons of PmGDH and PmAST2. Among these candidate SNPs, the distributions of PmGDH-1227 and PmAST2-132 showed both significant differences in the genotype and allele association analysis between susceptible and resistant groups. Haplotype association analysis showed that three haplotypes exhibited significantly different distributions between susceptible and resistant groups. In conclusion, PmGDH-1227 and PmAST2-132 were associated with ammonia nitrogen tolerance, and these SNP markers are expected to contribute to marker-assisted selection (MAS) breeding programs to obtain new strains of Penaeus monodon. Full article

This article examines patterns of enrollment, academic performance, and dropout among women in engineering programs at the State University of Milagro (UNEMI), Ecuador, between 2016 and 2023. Using a quantitative approach that combines descriptive statistics with exploratory factor analysis, the study identifies critical obstacles affecting the academic persistence of female students. Results show a 291% increase in female enrollment following the implementation of institutional policies focused on inclusion and the expansion of virtual education, reflecting the cumulative growth rate in female enrollment from 296 students in 2016 to 1158 in 2023. However, this growth coincided with a decline in pass rates and an increase in dropout levels. Among the main factors influencing student attrition are financial limitations associated with transportation, access to technology, and study materials. Additional elements include motivational aspects and insufficient academic preparation. The findings highlight the importance of strengthening institutional strategies that promote academic equity, create inclusive learning environments, and respond effectively to the personal and structural challenges that women face in engineering education. This study contributes empirical evidence that can inform university policies and public initiatives aimed at fostering greater participation and success for women in science and technology fields. Full article

This research highlights the issue that large amount of sweat generated by metabolism cannot be discharged from the internal environment of traditional fire suits when firefighters are intensively operating in high-temperature environments. This is highly prone to bacterial growth, which brings much harm to their health. Therefore, this study aims to present a new fire-retardant fabric with both antibacterial and high hygroscopic properties. Blended fibers were used including aramid 1313 fibers with excellent flame retardancy and flame-retardant viscose fibers. By uniformly embedding antibacterial nanofibers into the microfiber aggregates and controlling the adhesion behavior at the cross-scale interfaces of micro–nano fibers, the fire-retardant yarns were endowed with both antibacterial and moisture-transporting properties. The bacterial inhibition rate was calculated by comparing colonies cultured on EF fabric versus NF fabric. Additionally, the antibacterial and moisture-wicking properties of the fabrics were verified through tests such as placing the fabrics vertically in liquid to measure the height of absorbed moisture. This prepared functionally integrated fabric has excellent antibacterial properties even after 50 washing cycles. Its antibacterial rate against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus kept a preferred result of 99%. Its moisture-transporting performance has also been significantly improved. Based on the above, this study has not only successfully developed a flame-retardant fabric with high antibacterial and moisture-wicking properties, but more importantly, the method demonstrates a degree of universal applicability. Full article

In the present work, the turbulent wake of a circular cylinder in a confined flow environment at a blockage ratio of 14% is experimentally investigated in a wind tunnel consisting of a parallel test section followed by a constant-area distorting duct, under subcritical Re inlet conditions. The initial stage of wake development, extending from the bluff body to the end of the parallel section, is analyzed, with the use of hot-wire anemometry and laser-sheet visualization. The near field reveals partial similarity to unbounded wakes, with the principal difference being a modification of the Kármán vortex street topology, attributed to altered vortex dynamics under confinement. Further downstream, the mean and fluctuating velocity distributions of the confined wake gradually evolve toward channel-flow characteristics. To elucidate this transition, wake measurements are systematically compared with channel flow data obtained in the same configuration under identical inlet conditions and with reference channel-flow datasets from the literature. Experimental results show that a vortex-transportation mechanism exists due to confinement effect, resulting in the progressive crossing and realignment of counter-rotating vortices toward the tunnel centerline. Although wake flow characteristics are preserved, suppression of classical periodic shedding is clearly depicted. Furthermore, it is shown that the confined near-wake spectral peak persists up to x₁/d~60 as in the free case and then vanishes as the spectra broadens. Coincidentally, the confined wake exhibits a narrower halfwidth than its free wake counterpart, while a centerline shift of the shed vortices is observed. Farfield wake-flow maintains strong anisotropy, while a weaker downstream growth of the streamwise integral scale is observed when compared to channel flow. Together, these findings explain how confinement reforms the nearfield topology and reorganizes momentum transport as the flow evolves to channel-like flow. Full article