Search Results (882)

Wildfires near overhead transmission line corridors can cause localized conductor heating, thermal elongation, increased sag, and reduced ground clearance. However, traditional sag-calculation formulas and simplified equivalent-temperature methods have difficulty accurately representing wildfire-induced nonuniform temperature rise. To address this limitation, a fluid–thermal–stress multiphysics model was developed for an LGJ 300/40 ACSR conductor. A prescribed flame-temperature field and surrounding airflow were calculated using a CFD model to obtain the conductor’s nonuniform temperature distribution, which was then transferred to a structural finite-element model to determine thermal expansion and sag deformation. The effects of fire-source location were also investigated. The results show that nonuniform temperature rise leads to sag responses significantly different from those predicted using the three-section equivalent-temperature method. When the average conductor temperature reached approximately 130 °C, the maximum sag increased to about three times the cold-state value. Changing the fire-source location resulted in maximum differences of 73.3 °C in average conductor temperature and 37.1% in maximum sag. These quantitative relationships provide a practical reference for assessing conductor-to-ground clearance and evaluating wildfire-induced sag risk of overhead transmission lines. Full article

Members of the EPIDERMAL PATTERNING FACTOR (EPF) and EPF-Like (EPFL) families perform diverse regulatory functions in plant tissue morphogenesis, controlling the development of stomata, awns, shoot apical meristems (SAMs), and inflorescences. Nevertheless, the biological functions of OsEPF/EPFL family members in mediating responses to biotic/abiotic stresses are not yet widely characterized. Here, we demonstrated abundant cis-acting elements in the putative promoters of OsEPF/EPFL genes, including those associated with dehydration-, MeJA-, MYB binding site for drought, stress-, and ABA-responsive element. We performed a systematic analysis of the expression patterns of all OsEPF/EPFL family members under heat, cold, drought, and salt stress treatments. Among these genes, OsEPFL9 and OsEPFL10 exhibited rapid and sustained up-regulation across all four stress conditions. Furthermore, the majority of OsEPF/EPFL members were up-regulated specifically in response to salt stress. In terms of biotic stress responses, OsEPF2/5/7/10 were rapidly induced as early as 12 h post-infection (hpi) with the rice blast pathogen (Magnaporthe oryzae). Functional validation further revealed that its deficiency causes increased sensitivity to both M. oryzae and Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzae (Xoo). Collectively, our research will provide significant insights into the multifunctional roles of the OsEPF/EPFL gene family, particularly in stress responses. This work also establishes a theoretical basis and scientific reference for the application of plant small secreted peptides (SSPs) in crop disease resistance breeding and stress tolerance improvement. Full article

Large mineral flotation workshops in severe cold regions represent special industrial indoor environments characterized by the coexistence of limited ventilation and intense heat release. Such conditions generate pronounced spatial thermal stratification and localized heat accumulation within the workshop, leading to uneven worker thermal exposure and increased thermal discomfort and heat stress risk. However, conventional thermal comfort models were primarily developed for ordinary buildings with relatively stable thermal environments. Their applicability to large industrial workshops remains insufficiently validated. Nine representative monitoring points were arranged in the summer operating areas of the workshop, and thermal comfort surveys were conducted among 35 workers who had adapted to the local climate and working environment. The predicted mean vote (PMV) model was used as the baseline assessment framework, while an adaptive predicted mean vote (aPMV) model was further calibrated using field-based thermal sensation information. Monte Carlo simulation was employed to evaluate uncertainty propagation under field-data constraints, and Sobol sensitivity analysis was conducted to identify the dominant factors affecting thermal comfort predictions. The results demonstrated that the conventional PMV model exhibited a clear warm prediction bias under the investigated industrial conditions. After adaptive correction, the deviation from the field-based TSV was reduced by 82.93%, indicating improved agreement with workers’ actual thermal perception. Sensitivity analysis identified metabolic rate as the dominant contributor to aPMV output variance, with first-order and total-effect Sobol indices of 0.530 and 0.535. The proposed framework provides a scenario-specific approach for thermal comfort assessment in the investigated flotation workshop and offers preliminary methodological references for similar large-scale flotation workshops. Full article

The Bcl-2-associated athanogene (BAG) gene family plays vital roles in plant growth, development, and biotic and abiotic stress responses. Previous work has demonstrated that tomato SlBAG9, a group II BAG member, negatively regulates plant thermotolerance. However, the regulatory mechanisms governing SlBAG9 expression remain poorly understood. In this study, we isolated and characterized the authentic 1486 bp full-length promoter (P1) of SlBAG9 from the tomato genome. Building upon our previous transcript-level observations, we provide here a detailed functional characterization of this promoter at the cellular and tissue level. In silico analysis identified several key cis-acting regulatory elements, including abscisic acid-responsive elements (ABRE), anaerobic response elements (ARE), and a heat shock element (HSE1). We used stable transgenic tomato plants carrying SlBAG9pro::GUS to verify that the full-length promoter was capable of driving the expression of β-glucuronidase reporter gene (GUS) in transgenic tomato plants, showing GUS staining was detectable in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, with the highest activity in red-ripe fruits. Notably, GUS activity was significantly upregulated by high temperature (HT) but not by PEG, NaCl, ABA, or cold treatments. To further dissect the HT-responsive regulatory module, we generated three 5′-terminal deletion fragments (−386 bp, P2; −239 bp, P3; and −113 bp, P4) and fused them to GUS. Under HT stress, the smallest deletion P4 showed negligible GUS activity, whereas P1, P2, and P3 retained significant activity. Furthermore, site-directed deletion of the HSE1 element in the full-length context (MU-P1) abolished HT inducibility, confirming that HSE1 serves as a critical positive HT-responsive element. Collectively, these findings confirm and extend our observations that SlBAG9 is a stress-responsive gene, and the characterized HSE1-dependent promoter module represents a promising candidate for genetic engineering aimed at enhancing thermotolerance in crops. Full article

In the broader context of ecological transition, it is essential to identify solutions that ensure indoor environmental quality encompassing thermal, visual, acoustic, and indoor air quality conditions to safeguard occupant health and well-being. These solutions should also meet the demand for energy-efficient buildings. With specific regard to thermal environments, a distinction must be made between residential and non-residential settings, where comfort conditions can be achieved, and industrial environments, where thermal stress—and consequently health risks—may arise. To evaluate the quality of a thermal environment, key metrics are necessary. These include the Predicted Mean Vote (PMV) and the Predicted Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) for global thermal comfort, Predicted Heat Strain (PHS) and the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) for hot environments, and Required Insulation (IREQ) for cold environments, all governed by ISO-EN standards. The use of indices in residential and non-residential buildings outlines two critical challenges. The first relates to the fact that, in certain instances involving non-air-conditioned buildings, conditions can be borderline between comfort and thermal stress, which must be accurately identified. Secondly, the application of indices frequently neglects necessary variables, disregarding the fundamental limitations and operational boundaries inherent to both objective and personal input quantities. Moreover, the use of measurement devices inconsistent with the minimum requirements laid down by the standards in the field results in unwanted biases with unforeseeable consequences. This review explores the formulation, use, and limitations of the four indices mentioned, providing a perspective on their future development. It establishes the criteria for reliable long-term assessments of thermal and energy environments, encompassing the analysis of both heat and cold strain. Full article

Mortality in smallholder cattle and buffalo systems is climate-driven, but the signal is not uniform: heat and cold stress, flooding, and climate-sensitive disease act through different pathways, yet livestock loss models usually compress them into one elevated-mortality state. The paper builds a climate-state-dependent mortality model for the Thai national herd, separating an endemic baseline from a temperature-extreme and a moisture- and disease-driven regime. A 100,000-iteration Monte Carlo model, calibrated to the 2024 herd and a 2017 farmer survey at 2026 prices, generates the annual loss distribution and decomposes it by driver. The study is a calibrated scenario analysis, not an empirical estimation, so every result is conditional on the calibration and bounded by sensitivity analysis. Endemic mortality governs the average year, about 81% of expected loss but none of the extreme tail; the tail belongs entirely to the two climate regimes, with the moisture- and disease-driven regime carrying roughly 69% of losses beyond the 95th percentile and the temperature regime about 31%. This split holds across low-, medium-, and high-severity scenarios and a baseline range from 0.07 to 0.12, so it is structural: the driver of the typical year is not the driver of the catastrophe. Under a reduced-form behavioral layer with an assumed destocking response, generous payouts would raise stocking pressure 10% to 16% above a sustainable carrying capacity benchmark, so an adaptation instrument could degrade the rangeland it protects. The findings argue for regime-specific risk financing, for pairing insurance with heat and animal health adaptation, and for treating the carrying capacity externality as a design parameter. Full article

Fibrillins (FBNs) are conserved plastid-associated proteins implicated in plant development and abiotic stress responses; however, their roles in maize remain unclear. In this study, through a genome-wide bioinformatic analysis, we identified 14 ZmFBN genes in the maize genome and characterized their phylogeny, chromosomal distribution, gene structure, conserved motifs, and promoter cis-elements. ZmFBN members were grouped into several subfamilies that all retain a conserved PAP_fibrillin domain, whereas the variation in exon–intron organization, motif composition, and regulatory elements suggests functional diversification. Expression profiling revealed pronounced tissue-preferential patterns, with many genes highly expressed in leaves and reproductive tissues, and distinct responses to drought, salt, heat, and cold stresses. qRT-PCR assays showed that ZmFBN8 and ZmFBN9 are strongly induced by both salt and PEG-simulated drought, ZmFBN2 and ZmFBN5 are predominantly drought-responsive, and ZmFBN11 is mainly activated by salt. Genome-wide association analysis further detected significant loci near ZmFBN1 and ZmFBN4, whose allelic variants are associated with the survival rate under drought and with key agronomic traits, including the tassel branch number, flowering time, ear diameter, and kernel length. These results demonstrate that ZmFBN genes make diversified contributions to maize growth, development, and stress adaptation and highlight several members as promising targets for functional studies and the molecular breeding of stress-tolerant maize. Moreover, selection pressure analysis indicated ZmFBN7 experienced relaxed purifying selection, and ZmFBN12 underwent positive selection, which drives the functional diversification of the ZmFBN family during maize evolution. Full article

Extremophilic prokaryotes survive salt, temperature, and pH extremes by coordinating stress-induced protein networks that preserve macromolecules, sustain energetics, and repair damage. This review integrates recent proteomics with functional genomics to resolve both network state and causality across halophiles, thermophiles, acidophiles, alkaliphiles, psychrophiles, and radiation-resistant prokaryotes. Quantitative proteomics maps condition-specific induction of chaperones, proteases, ion transporters, osmolyte pathways, DNA repair proteins, antioxidants, and envelope remodeling enzymes. Complementary perturbation genetics, functional genomics, and transcriptomics help to identify essential nodes and regulatory circuits underlying stress tolerance. In halophiles, compatible solute synthesis and Na⁺/H⁺ exchange couple to protein quality control and central metabolism, whereas many archaeal halophiles additionally rely on high intracellular salt and distinctive membrane chemistry. Thermophiles rely on heat-shock systems, ATP-dependent proteolysis, membrane adjustments, and redox balancing. Acidophiles maintain near-neutral cytosol via proton export and low-permeability membranes while linking iron handling to oxidative defense. Alkaliphiles use Na⁺-based bioenergetics, multi-subunit antiporters, and cell-wall modifications to retain protons. Psychrophiles emphasize cold-shock RNA chaperones, flexible enzymes, and cryoprotectants, whereas radiophiles combine exceptional DNA repair with strong antioxidant capacity. Across taxa, oxidative stress forms a cross-cutting axis that explains extensive regulon overlap and cross-protection. We synthesize network architecture, highlight conserved modules and lineage-specific solutions, and outline open questions in stress sensing, multi-stress integration, and the functions of uncharacterized proteins. These insights provide a framework for engineering robust biocatalysts and organisms for biotechnology and environmental applications. Full article

The increasing demand for lightweight and corrosion-resistant structures has accelerated the use of AA5083 aluminium alloy in automotive, aerospace, marine and transportation industries owing to its excellent corrosion resistance, weldability and favourable strength-to-weight ratio. However, the fabrication of complex AA5083 components remains challenging because of limited formability, localised thinning, fracture and springback associated with conventional forming processes. Robotic incremental sheet forming (RISF) has emerged as a promising dieless manufacturing technology capable of producing complex and customised components with reduced tooling requirements. Recent developments in assisted RISF, particularly heating-assisted and hydro-assisted approaches, have further enhanced process capability. The reviewed literature consistently demonstrates that heating-assisted RISF improves formability by reducing flow stress and fracture tendency, whereas hydro-assisted RISF provides superior thickness distribution, deformation stability and dimensional accuracy. Despite these advances, significant challenges remain, including the lack of standardised processing conditions, limited comparative studies between cold and assisted RISF, insufficient understanding of hydro-assisted RISF for AA5083, and the absence of comprehensive process–structure–performance correlations. This review critically summarises the principles of ISF, RISF and assisted RISF technologies, evaluates their technical developments, industrial potential and economic considerations, and identifies the major research gaps limiting industrial implementation. Future research should focus on standardised processing methodologies, predictive modelling, integrated process optimisation and comprehensive material characterisation to facilitate the wider adoption of assisted RISF for manufacturing advanced lightweight AA5083 components. Full article

Abiotic stresses—drought, salinity, extreme temperature, flooding, and heavy-metal toxicity—constrain rice (Oryza sativa L.) yield worldwide, and the cellular programmes underlying them are unevenly distributed across cell types that bulk-tissue assays average together. This review examines, from a methodological standpoint, what single-cell and spatial omics technologies can and cannot establish about rice abiotic stress biology. We first define the modality space: single-cell omics measures RNA, chromatin accessibility, DNA methylation, protein, or metabolite features at the resolution of individual cells or nuclei, whereas spatial omics measures such features while retaining tissue coordinates; the two are complementary rather than interchangeable. We then treat each platform class—droplet-based scRNA-seq, combinatorial-indexing approaches including SPLiT-seq, nuclei-based snRNA-seq and multiome, sequencing-based and imaging-based spatial transcriptomics—under a common template covering measurement principle, the questions each can answer, applicability to rice tissues, dominant biases, and the inferences each cannot support. To make evidence strength comparable across a heterogeneous literature, we apply a four-tier scheme throughout: Tier A, direct rice cell-resolved or spatial evidence with functional or field validation; Tier B, robust rice functional and localization evidence without single-cell data; Tier C, cell-resolved evidence without causal validation; and Tier D, cross-species analogy or reasoned proposal. Applying this scheme shows that the genes with genuine breeding traction in rice—SUB1A, OsHKT1;5, OsHMA3, OsNRAMP5, DRO1—rest on Tier B evidence from classical genetics and field testing, whereas the most cell-resolved rice evidence concentrates in root outer layers and barrier formation at Tier C, and heat and cold stress, despite dominating yield loss, lack rice cell-resolved data almost entirely. We extend the discussion beyond transcriptomics to single-cell DNA methylome profiling, spatial proteomics and metabolomics, and three-dimensional analysis of thick plant tissues, in each case distinguishing demonstrated plant capability from mammalian-only capability, and we assess the expanding role of artificial intelligence in annotation, segmentation, batch correction, integration, and perturbation prediction alongside its documented failure modes. Rice, maize, and wheat are compared to identify transferable methodology. Cell-resolved omics has to date improved biological interpretation and candidate prioritization; demonstrating an incremental breeding advantage from it remains an unmet requirement. Full article

Pre-exercise internal cooling through cold-water-induced hyperhydration may attenuate increases in core body temperature (T_C) and improve endurance performance. Quantifying the extent of reduction in T_C induced by hyperhydration is important for optimizing its timing before exercise. We compared T_C values obtained from a wearable sensor, the CORE, with those of a gastrointestinal temperature telemetric sensor (G_TS) during hyperhydration. Eleven participants (two women; age: 24 ± 4 yrs) completed a 120 min seated period where they consumed, over the first 60 min, four boluses of 4 °C water (7.5 mL · kg fat-free mass [FFM]⁻¹), each containing 0.35 g · kg FFM⁻¹ of glycerol. Measures of T_C were taken every 20 min with both sensors. According to the G_TS, hyperhydration induced a peak T_C decline of −0.76 ± 0.31 °C at min 60; at this time, the change in T_C from baseline estimated by the CORE was −0.09 °C ± 0.20 °C. The greatest decline in T_C detected by the CORE was −0.11 ± 0.19 °C. Bland and Altman analyses revealed that average T_C declines of –0.1, −0.2, −0.3, −0.4, −0.5 and −0.6 °C from baseline were associated with T_C values estimated by the CORE that were respectively +0.29, +0.41, +0.57, +0.65, +0.77 and +0.89 °C higher than the G_TS. An intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.12 suggested poor agreement between instruments. These results raise concerns about the ability of the CORE to detect changes in T_C induced by a hyperhydration protocol generating a substantial heat sink. Full article

Ultra-supercritical (USC) steam turbines combine severe steam conditions with increasingly frequent start-up, shutdown, and load-following operations. Their main steam valves must preserve pressure boundary integrity, sealing, and rapid actuation while non-uniform heating, creep, cyclic plasticity, oxidation, wear, and contact redistribution alter component geometry. However, the relevant evidence remains fragmented across alloy development, component thermo-mechanics, valve aerodynamics, and lifetime monitoring. This short, mechanism-oriented review integrates these domains through a material structure–function framework in which deformation relative to assembly clearance governs jamming risk. It synthesizes evidence on heat-resistant body and surface materials, 9–12% Cr steel stability, weldability and repair sensitivity, and cold, warm, and hot start-up histories. It also evaluates creep–fatigue interaction, contact, flow-induced vibration, multi-physics modeling, validation, uncertainty, monitoring, and digital twins. The synthesis shows that neither peak equivalent stress nor steady-state temperature alone can establish functional reliability. Credible assessment requires temperature-dependent material data, realistic steam-side heat transfer, cyclic constitutive behavior, initial and residual clearances, manufacturing and assembly tolerances, state-dependent friction, uncertainty analysis, and corroborating plant or inspection evidence. The most consequential research needs are valve-level validation datasets, thermal contact testing, function-oriented life criteria, and uncertainty-aware digital twins that jointly inform materials, geometry, and transient operation. Full article

This paper presents a critical review of surface protection strategies for refurbished hydropower components, with emphasis on the manufacturing and materials-processing logic that links damage mechanisms, substrate condition, deposition route, microstructure, and service performance. The literature indicates that cavitation erosion, sediment abrasion, corrosion, and their synergistic interactions are intensified by flexible and off-design hydropower operation, making refurbishment decisions increasingly surface-sensitive rather than purely bulk-material problems. Thermal spray and laser cladding remain the dominant industrially relevant routes, while cold spray and emerging multi-principal-element, high-entropy, and Fe-based amorphous systems expand the design space for lower heat input, better defect control, and improved cavitation resistance. Across the considered studies, the most consistent conclusion is that hardness alone is not a reliable selection criterion; porosity, interfacial integrity, crack susceptibility, residual stress, and the ability to accommodate local deformation govern real durability. Chemical pre-treatments, sealants, and hybrid finishing routes appear less mature as standalone hydropower solutions, but are important enablers for substrate activation, coating densification, and corrosion mitigation. Therefore, the review proposes a refurbishment-oriented framework in which route selection is based on the initial damage state of the component, the admissible thermal load on the substrate, the required build-up thickness, and the expected cavitation/slurry/corrosion regime. Full article

Dendrobium officinale, a perennial medicinal herb rich in flavonoids, exhibits multiple pharmacological properties including antioxidant and hypoglycemic effects. However, its medicinal quality is compromised by various abiotic stresses, such as heat, cold, and osmotic stresses. UDP-glycosyltransferases play critical roles in both flavonoid glycosylation and plant stress tolerance. Here, we report the identification of a heat-responsive glycosyltransferase gene, DoUGT71K2, from D. officinale transcriptomes, and a characterization of its stress-induced expression and transcriptional regulatory mechanisms. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) showed that DoUGT71K2 exhibits tissue-specific high expression in flowers, and its transcript abundance is strongly elevated in response to heat, cold, and abscisic acid (ABA) treatment. The direct promoter-binding and trans-activating function of DoMYB102 on DoUGT71K2 was confirmed via dual-luciferase reporter and yeast one-hybrid (Y1H) assays. These results establish a DoMYB102–DoUGT71K2 regulatory module that couples heat stress response with flavonoid biosynthesis, which provides a molecular basis for improving stress tolerance and medicinal quality in D. officinale through molecular breeding. Full article

To mitigate the health and environmental risks of urbanisation and the urban heat island effect, urban planning is shifting towards promoting active mobility. The success of these efforts largely depends on understanding people’s thermal comfort on the move, driving research towards the investigation of the complex interdependencies between microclimatic conditions and the real-time experiences of pedestrians and cyclists. This literature review aims to present the state of the art of research at the neighbourhood and street levels by analysing the methodological frameworks employed and the outcomes achieved. The paper adopts a thematic clustering approach, grouping the articles on the basis of their research objectives, methodologies and the relationships between active mobility and comfort. The literature review highlights a shift from static to dynamic comfort assessments and a focus on active travel as a continuous experience rather than the sum of stationary moments. The primary findings include the consolidation of the thermal walk methodology and the emergence of cumulative stress indices. Evidence from heat stress contexts suggests that pedestrians prefer thermal diversity, which causes thermal alliesthesia, over monotonous conditions. The research highlights the role of heat stress as a barrier to walkability in hot and temperate climates, causing route deviations and lower walking speeds, with the opposite pattern in severely cold settings. This review identifies several research gaps, including a lack of standardised dynamic assessment methods, low generalisability and transferability of the results, and insufficient investigation of cyclists’ dynamic comfort compared with that of pedestrians. Full article