Search Results (5,804)

This study explores the anticancer, antioxidant, and phytochemical activities of Laurus nobilis L. ethanolic leaf extract. The extract demonstrated selective cytotoxicity against four human cancer cell lines, showing strong cytotoxic effect against ovarian (ES2), head and neck (SAS), and colorectal (HT-29) cancer cells, with IC₅₀ values ranging from 3.8 ± 0.3 to 4.4 ± 0.6 µg/mL. Notably, it exhibited only moderate inhibition of the MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cell line (IC₅₀ = 18.5 ± 0.8 µg/mL), possibly reflecting intrinsic differences in cell line sensitivity. Importantly, the extract showed low toxicity toward normal human fibroblasts (HDF), with an IC₅₀ value exceeding 100 µg/mL, indicating a favorable selectivity profile. The flow cytometry analysis showed that the extract caused cell death and stopped the cell cycle in both SAS and ES2 cancer cell lines. In SAS cells, extract treatment significantly increased apoptotic cells (21.1% ± 0.3%) compared to the control (6.3% ± 0.4%), along with G2 phase accumulation, indicating G2 arrest. Similarly, in ES2 cells, apoptosis increased (16.2% ± 1.3% vs. control 8.1% ± 1.0%), and a significant cell accumulation in the S phase was observed, suggesting disruption of cell cycle progression. Antioxidant screenings showed impressive dose-dependent DPPH radical scavenging activity (25–2000 µg/mL), although less potent than ascorbic acid (2.6 µg/mL). UPLC-QTOF/MS phytochemical analysis revealed various phenolic constituents, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, and an inferred association with the recorded bioactivities. This preliminary work indicates that L. nobilis extracts may act as natural anticancer and antioxidant agents; however, it was limited to in vitro testing with non-standardized samples, underscoring the need for further research to validate and extend these findings for future applications. Full article

Background: The frequency of necrotising cutaneous and soft tissue infections caused by the Mucorales fungi Apophysomyces and Sakasenaea is increasing. The absence of sophisticated diagnostic technologies in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) means that detection of cutaneous mucormycosis continues to rely on culture of the infecting pathogens from biopsy and their differentiation based on morphological characteristics. However, Apophysomyces and Sakasenaea are notorious for their failure to sporulate on standard mycological media used for the identification of human pathogenic fungi. Differentiation of these pathogens and their discrimination from Aspergillus fumigatus, the most common mould pathogen of humans, is essential due to their differing sensitivities to the antifungal drugs used to treat mucormycosis. Methods: A murine IgG1 monoclonal antibody, JD4, has been developed that is specific to Apophysomyces species. In Western blotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), mAb JD4 is shown to bind to an extracellular 15 kDa protein, readily detectable in crude antigen extracts from non-sporulating cultures of Apophysomyces. Results: When combined with a Mucorales-specific lateral-flow immunoassay (LFIA), mAb JD4 allows the differentiation of Apophysomyces from Saksenaea species and discrimination from Aspergillus fumigatus. Monoclonal antibody JD4 enables the detection and differentiation of Apophysomyces species from other fungal pathogens that cause rapidly progressive cutaneous and soft tissue mycoses in humans. When this is combined with a rapid LFIA, improvements are offered in the sensitivity and specificity of Mucorales detection based on mycological culture, which remains a gold-standard procedure for mucormycosis detection in LMICs lacking access to more sophisticated diagnostic procedures. Full article

Protection of coastal cultural heritage is among the most urgent global priorities, as these sites face increasing threats from climate change, sea level rise, and human activity. This study emphasises the value of innovative geospatial tools and data ecosystems for timely risk assessment. The role of land administration systems, geospatial documentation of coastal cultural heritage sites, and the adoption of innovative techniques that combine various methodologies is crucial for timely action. The coastal management infrastructure in Greece is presented, outlining the key public authorities and national legislation, as well as the land administration and geospatial ecosystems and the various available geospatial ecosystems. We profile the Hellenic Cadastre and the Hellenic Archaeological Cadastre along with open geospatial resources, and introduce TRIQUETRA Decision Support System (DSS), produced through the EU’s Horizon project, and a Digital Twin methodology for hazard identification, quantification, and mitigation. Particular emphasis is given to the role of Digital Twin technology, which acts as a continuously updated virtual replica of coastal cultural heritage sites, integrating heterogeneous geospatial datasets such as cadastral information, photogrammetric 3D models, climate projections, and hazard simulations, allowing for stakeholders to test future scenarios of sea level rise, flooding, and erosion, offering an advanced tool for resilience planning. The approach is validated at the coastal archaeological site of Aegina Kolona, where a UAV-based SfM-MVS survey produced using high-resolution photogrammetric outputs, including a dense point cloud exceeding 60 million points, a 5 cm resolution Digital Surface Model, high-resolution orthomosaics with a ground sampling distance of 1 cm and 2.5 cm, and a textured 3D model using more than 6000 nadir and oblique images. These products provided a geospatial infrastructure for flood risk assessment under extreme rainfall events, following a multi-scale hydrologic–hydraulic modelling framework. Island-scale simulations using a 5 m Digital Elevation Model (DEM) were coupled with site-scale modelling based on the high-resolution UAV-derived DEM, allowing for the nested evaluation of water flow, inundation extents, and velocity patterns. This approach revealed spatially variable flood impacts on individual structures, highlighted the sensitivity of the results to watershed delineation and model resolution, and identified critical intervention windows for temporary protection measures. We conclude that integrating land administration systems, open geospatial data, and Digital Twin technology provides a practical pathway to proactive and efficient management, increasing resilience for coastal heritage against climate change threats. Full article

Dynamic equivalence of active distribution networks (ADNs) is emerging as one of the most important issues for the backbone network security analysis due to high penetration of distributed generations (DGs) and electricity vehicles (EVs). The multiscale and multimodal fusion deep learning (MMFDL) method proposed in this paper contains two modalities, one of which is a CNN + attention module to simulate Newton Raphson power flow calculation (NRPFC) for the important feature extraction of a power system caused by disturbance, which is motivated by the similarities between NRPFC and convolution network computation. The other is a long short-term memory (LSTM) + fully connected (FC) module for load modeling based on the fact that LSTM + FC can represent a load′s differential algebraic equations (DAEs). Moreover, to better capture the relationship between voltage and power, the multiscale fusion method is used to aggregate load modeling models with different voltage input sizes and combined with CNN + attention, merging as MMFDL to represent the dynamic behaviors of ADNs. Then, the Kepler optimization algorithm (KOA) is applied to automatically tune the adjustable parameters of MMFLD (called KOA-MMFDL), especially the LSTM and FC hidden layer number, as they are important for load modeling and there is no human knowledge to set these parameters. The performance of the proposed method was evaluated by employing different electric power systems and various disturbance scenarios. The error analysis shows that the proposed method can accurately represent the dynamic response of ADNs. In addition, comparative experiments verified that the proposed method is more robust and generalizable than other advanced non-mechanism methods. Full article

The sustainability of Arctic ecosystems that are extremely vulnerable is contingent upon the state of cryosoils. Understanding the principles of ecosystem stability in permafrost conditions, particularly under external natural or human-induced influences, necessitates an examination of the thermal and moisture regimes of the seasonally thawed soil layer. The study concentrated on the variability in the soil’s thermophysical properties in Central Siberia’s permafrost zone (the northern part of Krasnoyarsk Region, Taimyr, Russia). In the industrially affected area of interest, we evaluated and contrasted the differences in the thermophysical properties of soils between two opposing types of landscapes. On the one hand, these are soils that are characteristic of the natural landscape of flat shrub tundra, with a well-developed moss–lichen cover. An alternative is the soils in the landscape, which have exhibited significant degradation in the vegetation cover due to both natural and human-induced factors. The heat-insulating properties of background areas are controlled by the layer of moss and shrubs, while its disturbance determines the excessive heating of the soil at depth. In comparison to the background soil characteristics, degradation of on-ground vegetation causes the active layer depth of the soils to double and the temperature gradient to decrease. With respect to depth, we examine the changes in soil temperature and heat flow dynamics (q, W/m²). The ranges of thermal conductivity (λ, W/(m∙K)) were assessed using field-measured temperature profiles and heat flux values in the soil layers. The background soil was discovered to have lower thermal conductivity values, which are typical of organic matter, in comparison to the soil of the transformed landscape. Thermal diffusivity coefficients for soil layers were calculated using long-term temperature monitoring data. It is shown that it is possible to use an adjusted model of the thermal conductivity coefficient to reconstruct the dynamics of moisture content from temperature dynamics data. A satisfactory agreement is shown when the estimated ($W_{calc}$, %) and observed ($W_{exp}$, %) moisture content values in the soil layer are compared. The findings will be employed to regulate the effects on landscapes in order to implement sustainable nature management in the region, thereby preventing the significant degradation of ecosystems and the concomitant risks to human well-being. Full article

Cadmium (Cd), a pervasive and highly phytotoxic metal pollutant, poses severe threats to agricultural productivity, ecosystem stability, and human health through its entry into the food chain. Plants have evolved intricate defense mechanisms, among which the strategic manipulation of nutrient elements emerges as a critical physiological and biochemical strategy for mitigating Cd stress. This comprehensive review delves deeply into the multifaceted roles of essential macronutrient elements (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur), essential micronutrient elements (zinc, iron, manganese, copper) and non-essential beneficial elements (silicon, selenium) in modulating plant responses to Cd toxicity. We meticulously dissect the physiological, biochemical, and molecular underpinnings of how these nutrients influence Cd bioavailability in the rhizosphere, Cd uptake and translocation pathways, sequestration and compartmentalization within plant tissues, and the activation of antioxidant defense systems. Nutrient elements exert their influence through diverse mechanisms: competing with Cd for root uptake transporters, promoting the synthesis of complexes that reduce Cd mobility, stabilizing cell walls and plasma membranes to restrict apoplastic flow and symplastic influx, modulating redox homeostasis by enhancing antioxidant enzyme activities and non-enzymatic antioxidant pools, regulating signal transduction pathways, and influencing gene expression profiles related to metal transport, chelation, and detoxification. The complex interactions between nutrients themselves further shape the plant’s capacity to withstand Cd stress. Recent advances elucidating nutrient-mediated epigenetic regulation, microRNA involvement, and the role of nutrient-sensing signaling hubs in Cd responses are critically evaluated. Furthermore, we synthesize the practical implications of nutrient management strategies, including optimized fertilization regimes, selection of nutrient-efficient genotypes, and utilization of nutrient-enriched amendments, for enhancing phytoremediation efficiency and developing low-Cd-accumulating crops, thereby contributing to safer food production and environmental restoration in Cd-contaminated soils. The intricate interplay between plant nutritional status and Cd stress resilience underscores the necessity for a holistic, nutrient-centric approach in managing Cd toxicity in agroecosystems. Full article

The growth of the human population, combined with climate change, has made the provisioning of water resources to human populations one of the greatest challenges of recent decades. One commonly adopted solution has been the construction of small dams and reservoirs close to urban settlements. However, concerns have arisen that, despite their small size, small dams may have environmental impacts similar to those known for large dams. The severe water crisis observed between 2014 and 2015 led to the multiplication of small dams in southeastern Brazil, such as the one built on the Fetá stream at the Capivari River basin in the municipality of Louveira. This study aimed to contribute to the assessment of the impacts of small dam construction on water quality by monitoring basic parameters and nutrients during the filling and stabilization period of the Fetá reservoir. As expected, the interruption of water flow and the increase in water residence time led to increases in temperature, pH, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen and concentrations of dissolved carbon and nitrogen, as well as a reduction in turbidity. Consistent with the shallow depth of the water column, neither thermal nor chemical stratification was observed. Nevertheless, the water quality of surface and bottom layers was markedly different. Over time, water volume and water quality tended to stabilize. This research clearly demonstrates that small dams and reservoirs cause qualitatively similar environmental impacts to those of large-scale dams and reservoirs worldwide. Full article

The article presents a new method for multi-agent traffic flow balancing. It is based on the MAROH multi-agent optimization method. However, unlike MAROH, the agent’s control plane is built on the principles of human decision-making and consists of two layers. The first layer ensures autonomous decision-making by the agent based on accumulated experience—representatives of states the agent has encountered and knows which actions to take in them. The second layer enables the agent to make decisions for unfamiliar states. A state is considered familiar to the agent if it is close, in terms of a specific metric, to a state the agent has already encountered. The article explores variants of state proximity metrics and various ways to organize the agent’s memory. It has been experimentally shown that an agent with the proposed two-layer control plane SAMAROH-2L outperforms the efficiency of an agent with a single-layer control plane, e.g., makes decisions faster, and inter-agent communication reduction varies from 1% to 80% depending on the selected similarity threshold comparing the method with simultaneous actions SAMAROH and from 80% to 96% comparing to MAROH. Full article

Breastfeeding is a complex biological system and a bidirectional physiological dialogue in which the infant may contribute to maternal breast health. This review synthesizes current evidence, clearly separating established findings from emerging hypotheses, to examine the possible infant-driven mechanisms that influence hormonal and immune homeostasis in the mammary gland. We evaluate how neonatal suckling coordinates interconnected hormonal reflexes and immune activity, and we explore the hypothesis that the retrograde flow of infant saliva to the breast tissue could activate maternal enzymatic defenses, particularly the xanthine oxidase and lactoperoxidase systems. We also consider the activation of antimicrobial peptides through direct contact at the nipple and areola, including cathelicidin and defensins, as well as the potential roles of fetal microchimerism and microbial transfer from the infant’s mouth in strengthening breast resilience. Although much of the evidence remains indirect and based on in vitro and animal models, the convergence of data supports a reformulated conceptual model that presents the infant as an active physiological partner rather than a passive recipient of milk. Recognizing this shift has important clinical implications for the prevention of inflammatory conditions such as mastitis, the improvement of breastfeeding support strategies, and the optimization of maternal and infant health outcomes. The review also identifies significant gaps in current knowledge and cautiously proposes hypotheses to explore these mechanisms. While preliminary, this framework offers an original perspective that may guide future research and open new paths in the study of human lactation biology. Full article

Background/Objectives: Spheroid cultures in Matrigel are routinely used to study cell behaviour in complex 3D settings, thereby generating preclinical models of disease. Ideally, researchers would like to modulate gene expression ‘in situ’ for testing novel gene therapies while conserving the spheroid architecture. Here, we aim to provide an efficient method to transfect small RNAs (such as microRNAs and small interfering RNAs, i.e., siRNAs) into human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived 3D lung spheroids, specifically alveolar type II epithelial cells (iAT2) and basal cell (iBC) spheroids. Methods: Transfection of iAT2 spheroids within 3D Matrigel ‘in situ’, whole spheroids released from Matrigel or spheroids dissociated to single cells was explored via flow cytometry using a fluorescently labelled siRNA. Validation of the transfection method was performed in iAT2 and iBC spheroids using siRNA and miRNA mimics and measurement of specific target expression post-transfection. Results: Maximal delivery of siRNA was achieved in serum-free conditions in whole spheroids released from the Matrigel, followed by whole spheroids ‘in situ’. ‘In situ’ transfection of SFTPC-siRNA led to a 50% reduction in the SFTPC mRNA levels in iAT2 spheroids. Transfection of miR-29c mimic and miR-21 pre-miR into iAT2 and iBC spheroids, respectively, led to significant miRNA overexpression, together with a significant decrease in protein levels of the miR-29 target FOXO3a. Conclusions: This study demonstrates successful transfection of iPSC-derived lung spheroids without disruption of their 3D structure using a simple and feasible approach. Further development of these methods will facilitate functional studies in iPSC-derived spheroids utilizing small RNAs. Full article

Landslides are common in mountainous regions and can significantly affect human life and infrastructure. The aim of this study is to analyze the role of hydrothermally altered rocks in generating ground instability and triggering debris flows in the Canoas microbasin, Sierra de Angangueo, within the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve. We characterized the unaltered (andesite) and altered (andesitic breccia) rocks from the landslide scarp through fieldwork and laboratory analysis. The altered rock exhibited an extremely low simple compressive strength of 0.47 ± 0.05 MPa. In contrast, the unaltered rock exhibited a higher strength of 36.26 ± 18.62 MPa and lower porosity. Petrographic analysis revealed that the unaltered rock primarily consists of an andesitic groundmass with plagioclase and orthopyroxene phenocrysts partially altered to sericite and kaolin. In comparison, the altered rock contains a matrix rich in clay, iron oxides, and completely replaced phenocrysts. The andesitic breccia has a high proportion of clay and silt and displays soil-like mechanical properties, making it vulnerable to saturation collapse during heavy rainfall. This research offers valuable insights into geological risk management in mountainous volcanic regions. The findings demonstrate that the presence of hydrothermally altered andesitic breccia with weak geomechanical properties was the critical factor that triggered the Canoas debris flow, underscoring hydrothermal alteration as a key control of slope instability in volcanic settings. Full article

The success and impact of biological invasions depend on adaptations to novel abiotic and biotic selective pressures. However, the genetic mechanisms underlying adaptations in invasive species are inadequately understood. Taenioides sp. is an invasive worm goby, originally endemic to brackish waters in the estuaries of Southeastern China, and now colonizes multiple inland freshwaters of North China within decades as a byproduct of the East Route of South-to-North Water Transfer (ESNT) project. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying their adaptations to the climate of North China, especially the temperature regime, are unknown. Here, we performed genomic resequencing analysis to assess genetic diversity and population genetic structure, and further investigated the genomic signatures of local adaptation in the invasive population of Taenioides sp. during their northward invasion. We revealed that all invasive populations exhibited no genetic differentiation but low gene flow and an obvious signal of population bottleneck. Yangtze River estuary may serve as the source population, while Gaoyou Lake serves as a potential bridgehead of the invasion. Selective sweep analyses revealed 117 genomic regions, containing 673 candidate genes, under positive selection in populations at the invasive front. Redundancy analysis suggested that local temperature variables, particularly the monthly minimum temperature, represent critical evolutionary forces in driving adaptive divergence. Functional enrichment analyses revealed that multiple biological processes, including metabolism and energy production, substance transmembrane transport, and neural development and synaptic transmission, may play important roles in adaptation to regional temperature conditions. Our findings revealed a scenario of adaptive evolution in teleost species that underpins their regional climate adaptation and successful establishment of invasive populations in a human-facilitated invasion context. Proper management strategies should be established to manage Taenioides sp invasion as soon as possible. Full article

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into bioclimatic building design is reshaping the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry by addressing critical challenges in sustainability and efficiency. By aligning structures with local climates, bioclimatic design addresses global challenges such as energy consumption, urbanization, and climate change. Complementing these principles, AI technologies—including machine learning, digital twins, and generative algorithms—are revolutionizing the sector by optimizing processes across the entire building lifecycle, from design and construction to operation and maintenance. Amid the diverse array of AI-driven innovations, this research highlights digital twin (DT) technologies as a key to AI-driven transformation, enabling real-time monitoring, simulation, and optimization for sustainable design. Applications like façade optimization, energy flow analysis, and predictive maintenance showcase their role in adaptive architecture, while frameworks like Construction 4.0 and 5.0 promote human-centric, data-driven sustainability. By bridging AI with bioclimatic design, the findings contribute to a vision of a built environment that seamlessly aligns environmental sustainability with technological advancement and societal well-being, setting new standards for adaptive and resilient architecture. Despite the immense potential, AI and DTs face challenges like high computational demands, regulatory barriers, interoperability and skill gaps. Overcoming these challenges will be crucial for maximizing the impact on sustainable building, requiring ongoing research to ensure scalability, ethics, and accessibility. Full article

Urban green spaces are essential for mitigating the heat island effect, supporting ecosystem services, and maintaining biodiversity. The distribution, fragmentation, and connection of the green spaces significantly impact the behavior of species in cities, serving as key indicators of environmental resilience and ecological benefits. However, current studies, as well as planning standards, often prioritize green spaces independently through their coverage or density, overlooking the importance of continuity and its impact on thermal regulation and accessibility. In this research, urban “hidden green corridors” refer to the unrecognized but functionally significant pathways that link fragmented green spaces through ecological behaviors, which enhance both biological and human habitats. This research focuses on developing an agent-based simulation (ABS) model based on the Physarealm plugin in Rhino, which can assess the effectiveness of these hidden corridors in different urban settings by integrating geographic information systems (GIS) and space syntax. Based on three case studies in Italy (Lambrate District, Bolognina, and Ispra), the simulation results are further interpreted through the AI agentic workflow “SOFIA”, developed by IMM Design Lab, Politecnico di Milano, and compared using manual analysis as well as mainstream large language models (ChatGPT 4.0 Web). The findings indicate that the “hidden green corridors” are essential for urban heat reduction, enhancement of urban biodiversity, and strengthening ecological flows. Full article

Hakka traditional vernacular dwellings embody regionally specific climatic adaptation strategies. This study takes the Meizhou Guangludi enclosed house as a case study to evaluate its climate adaptability with longevity and passive survivability factors of the Hakka three-hall enclosed house under subtropical climatic conditions. A mixed research method is employed, integrating visualized parametric modeling analysis and on-site measurement comparisons to quantify wind, temperature, solar radiation/illuminance, and humidity, along with human comfort zone limits and building environment. The results reveal that nature erosion in the Guangludi enclosed house is the most pronounced during winter and spring, particularly on exterior walls below 2.8 m. Key issues include bulging, spalling, molding, and fractured purlins caused by wind-driven rain, exacerbated by low wind speeds and limited solar exposure, especially at test spots like the E8–E10 and N1–N16 southeast and southern walls below 1.5 m. Fungal growth and plant intrusion are severe where surrounding trees and fengshui forests restrict wind flow and lighting. In terms of passive survivability, the Guangludi enclosed house has strong thermal insulation and buffering, aided by the Huatai mound; however, humidity and day illuminance deficiencies persist in the interstitial spaces between lateral rooms and the central hall. To address these issues, this study proposes strategies such as adding ventilation shafts and flexible partitions, optimizing patio dimensions and window-to-wall ratios, retaining the spatial layout and Fengshui pond to enhance wind airflow, and reinforcing the identified easily eroded spots with waterproofing, antimicrobial coatings, and extended eaves. Through parametric simulation and empirical validation, this study presents a climate-responsive retrofit framework that supports the sustainability and conservation of the subtropical Hakka enclosed house. Full article