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30 pages, 1838 KB  
Article
IF-EMD-SPA: An Information Flow-Based Neighborhood Rough Set Approach for Attribute Reduction
by Chunying Zhang, Chen Chen, Guanghui Yang, Siwu Lan and Qingda Zhang
Appl. Sci. 2026, 16(6), 2789; https://doi.org/10.3390/app16062789 - 13 Mar 2026
Abstract
High-dimensional mixed data often lack a unified semantic representation for continuous and discrete attributes, which hinders mixed-attribute similarity modeling and can result in unstable reducts and overfitting in existing neighborhood rough set (NRS) methods. To address this issue, we propose IF-EMD-SPA, an attribute [...] Read more.
High-dimensional mixed data often lack a unified semantic representation for continuous and discrete attributes, which hinders mixed-attribute similarity modeling and can result in unstable reducts and overfitting in existing neighborhood rough set (NRS) methods. To address this issue, we propose IF-EMD-SPA, an attribute reduction method for NRS grounded in Information Flow theory. Unlike conventional NRS methods that rely on discretization or a single reduction criterion, IF-EMD-SPA first establishes a unified representation framework for heterogeneous attributes based on classifications and an Information Channel Core. It then integrates Earth Mover’s Distance (EMD) and Set Pair Analysis (SPA) to define a similarity metric for mixed attributes. In addition, a three-stage greedy reduction strategy is designed under the dual constraints of dependency preservation and structural error, consisting of dependency-driven forward selection, similarity-driven structure completion, and backward redundancy removal. Experiments on five UCI benchmark datasets and two high-dimensional gene expression datasets show that IF-EMD-SPA achieves average accuracies of 93.5% (k-Nearest Neighbors, KNN), 93.9% (Support Vector Machine, SVM), and 90.8% (Classification and Regression Trees, CART), with SVM achieving the best results on all seven datasets. Under CART, it reaches 100% accuracy on Wine and WPBC, improving performance by up to 37.5 percentage points over comparison methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Learning-Based Feature Extraction and Selection: 2nd Edition)
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23 pages, 1158 KB  
Article
A Hybrid Model Reduction Method for Dual-Continuum Model with Random Inputs
by Lingling Ma
Computation 2026, 14(3), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/computation14030069 - 13 Mar 2026
Abstract
In this paper, a hybrid model reduction method for solving flows in fractured media is proposed. The approach integrates the Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (GMsFEM) with a novel variable-separation (VS) technique. Compared with many widely used variable-separation methods, the proposed model reduction [...] Read more.
In this paper, a hybrid model reduction method for solving flows in fractured media is proposed. The approach integrates the Generalized Multiscale Finite Element Method (GMsFEM) with a novel variable-separation (VS) technique. Compared with many widely used variable-separation methods, the proposed model reduction method shares their merits but has lower computation complexity and higher efficiency. Within this framework, we can get the low-rank variable-separation expansion of dual-continuum model solutions in a systematic enrichment manner. No iteration is performed at each enrichment step. The expansion is constructed using two sets of basis functions: stochastic basis functions and deterministic physical basis functions, both derived from offline, model-oriented computations. To efficiently construct the stochastic basis functions, the original model is used to learn stochastic information. Meanwhile, the deterministic physical basis functions are trained using solutions obtained by applying an uncoupled GMsFEM to the dual-continuum system at a select number of optimal samples. Once these bases are established, the online evaluation for each new random sample becomes highly efficient, allowing for the computation of a large number of stochastic realizations at minimal cost. To demonstrate the performance of the proposed method, two numerical examples for dual-continuum models with random inputs are presented. The results confirm that the hybrid model reduction method is both efficient and achieves high approximation accuracy. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Computational Methods for Fluid Flow)
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22 pages, 6573 KB  
Article
Power Prediction for Marine Gas Turbine Plants Using a Condition-Adaptive Physics-Informed LSTM Model
by Jinwei Chen, Zhenchao Hu and Huisheng Zhang
J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2026, 14(6), 532; https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse14060532 - 12 Mar 2026
Viewed by 29
Abstract
The accurate prediction of gas turbine output power is critical for flexible scheduling and shipboard microgrid resilience. However, purely data-driven models suffer from poor generalization and physical inconsistency in complex marine environments, especially under unseen operation conditions. This paper proposes a condition-adaptive physics-informed [...] Read more.
The accurate prediction of gas turbine output power is critical for flexible scheduling and shipboard microgrid resilience. However, purely data-driven models suffer from poor generalization and physical inconsistency in complex marine environments, especially under unseen operation conditions. This paper proposes a condition-adaptive physics-informed long short-term memory (CAPI-LSTM) framework to ensure physical consistency across the full operation envelope. In the proposed framework, an MLP-based condition-adaptive regulator is developed to dynamically adjust the compressor air flow rate within the embedded physics-informed loss function. The proposed CAPI-LSTM model is verified using the operation data from an LM2500+ gas turbine. The comparison results demonstrate the superiority of the proposed method over traditional architectures. The CAPI-LSTM model achieves the lowest root mean square error of 0.177 MW, and its error distribution is the most concentrated near zero among all compared models. The robustness of the CAPI-LSTM model is further verified under the unseen operation conditions. The CAPI-LSTM still maintains excellent generalization capability compared to both purely data-driven models and standard physics-informed models, with an average error of only 0.218 MW and a narrow interquartile range of [0.058, 0.363]. The paired t-test results confirm that the improvement of the CAPI-LSTM model is statistically significant. The CAPI-LSTM model achieves competitive computational efficiency despite the integration of the physics-informed loss function with a condition-adaptive regulator. Furthermore, the CAPI-LSTM model achieves superior performance in noise immunity and transferability to other types of gas turbines. In summary, the proposed CAPI-LSTM model provides an effective and practical solution for marine gas turbine output power prediction. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Ocean Engineering)
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32 pages, 4063 KB  
Article
Online Monitoring of Financial Market Information-Flow Networks Under External Shocks: A Rolling Directed-ERGM and Control-Chart Framework
by Zhongxiu Chen, Huina Tian and Zhenghui Li
Mathematics 2026, 14(6), 961; https://doi.org/10.3390/math14060961 - 12 Mar 2026
Viewed by 42
Abstract
Amid frequent external shocks and deepening market linkages, the information-transmission structure of financial markets is more prone to phase-specific abrupt changes, creating a need for real-time monitoring methods. This study develops an online framework to track financial information-flow networks and to provide early [...] Read more.
Amid frequent external shocks and deepening market linkages, the information-transmission structure of financial markets is more prone to phase-specific abrupt changes, creating a need for real-time monitoring methods. This study develops an online framework to track financial information-flow networks and to provide early warnings of structural changes under exogenous shocks. Methodologically, information-flow networks are constructed from return spillovers using the Diebold–Yilmaz framework. An Exponential Random Graph Model is then employed to quantify how exogenous variables affect edge formation. Statistical process control methods, namely the Multivariate Cumulative Sum (MCUSUM) and Multivariate Exponentially Weighted Moving Average (MEWMA), are introduced to online monitoring of exogenous-effect coefficients. The simulation study uses simulated data to assess whether the two charts are properly calibrated and sensitive to alarms. The empirical study uses Shanghai Stock Exchange (SSE) 180 constituent stocks and exogenous variables—7-day Fixing Repo Rate (FR007), M2 growth rate (M2), the China Economic Policy Uncertainty Index (CEPU), and the Global Economic Policy Uncertainty Index (GEPU) over 2011–2025. The results indicate that both charts achieve the target in-control average run length, and detection accelerates with shock magnitude; FR007 is generally negative, M2 is positive, and uncertainty measures vary strongly over time; monitoring reveals shock clustering and long-term drift, implying both shock amplification and structural drift in the information-flow network. Practically, the framework provides an implementable warning tool for tracking shock amplification, supporting timely risk management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section E5: Financial Mathematics)
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21 pages, 1673 KB  
Article
Emergence of the 2nd Law in an Exactly Solvable Model of a Quantum Wire
by Marco Antonio Jimenez-Valencia and Charles Allen Stafford
Entropy 2026, 28(3), 316; https://doi.org/10.3390/e28030316 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 98
Abstract
As remarked by Boltzmann, the Second Law of Thermodynamics is notable for the fact that it is readily proved using elementary statistical arguments, but becomes harder and harder to verify the more precise the microscopic description of a system. In this article, we [...] Read more.
As remarked by Boltzmann, the Second Law of Thermodynamics is notable for the fact that it is readily proved using elementary statistical arguments, but becomes harder and harder to verify the more precise the microscopic description of a system. In this article, we investigate one particular realization of the 2nd Law, namely Joule heating in a wire under electrical bias. We analyze the production of entropy in an exactly solvable model of a quantum wire wherein the conserved flow of entropy under unitary quantum evolution is taken into account using an exact formula for the entropy current of a system of independent quantum particles. In this exact microscopic description of the quantum dynamics, the entropy production due to Joule heating does not arise automatically. Instead, we show that the expected entropy production is realized in the limit of a large number of local measurements by a series of floating thermoelectric probes along the length of the wire, which inject entropy into the system as a result of the information obtained via their continuous measurements of the system. The decoherence resulting from inelastic processes introduced by the local measurements is essential to the phenomenon of entropy production due to Joule heating, and would be expected to arise due to inelastic scattering in real systems of interacting particles. Full article
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26 pages, 5380 KB  
Article
Analyzing Characteristics of Public Transport Complex Networks Based on Multi-Source Big Data Fusion: A Case Study of Cangzhou, China
by Linfang Zhou, Yongsheng Chen, Dongpu Ren and Qing Lan
Future Internet 2026, 18(3), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/fi18030144 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 65
Abstract
Quantitative evaluation of public transit networks (PTNs) with complex-network models informs route optimization and operational adjustments. Prior studies emphasize large cities and pay limited attention to small-sized urban systems. This study examines the bus network of Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, China, to broaden [...] Read more.
Quantitative evaluation of public transit networks (PTNs) with complex-network models informs route optimization and operational adjustments. Prior studies emphasize large cities and pay limited attention to small-sized urban systems. This study examines the bus network of Cangzhou City, Hebei Province, China, to broaden the empirical scope and characterize PTNs in smaller cities. The dataset for this study comprises route and stop records, passenger boarding logs, and bus GPS traces. We develop a general workflow for bus data cleaning and completion. To characterize the dynamic bus network and compare it with the static network, we construct a static network and Directed Weighted Dynamic Network I (DWDN I) using the L-space method, and we construct Directed Weighted Dynamic Network II (DWDN II) using the P-space method. We calculated network metrics including degree, weighted degree, clustering coefficient, path length, network diameter, network efficiency, and small-world coefficient. The principal results show that: (1) at the macroscopic level, the dynamic PTN tracks passenger demand, as the average degree, weighted average degree, and clustering coefficient fluctuate in concert with passenger flows; (2) key stations concentrate in the urban core, and stations with high weighted degree display pronounced spatial autocorrelation; (3) the exponential form of the weighted-degree distribution indicates that the examined bus network is not scale-free, while the dynamic network’s small-world coefficient exceeds that of the static network across time periods, reflecting stronger small-world characteristics. This study integrates network and spatial attributes of the PTN to offer an exploratory case for investigating public transit networks in third-tier cities. The findings can inform comparable studies and offer practical guidance for bus operators. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Big Data and Augmented Intelligence)
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14 pages, 841 KB  
Article
Evidence-Based Intervention Framework Proposal for Listeria monocytogenes in Micro and Small Meat-Processing Plants
by Sandra M. Rincón-Gamboa, Ana K. Carrascal-Camacho and Raúl A. Poutou-Piñales
Foods 2026, 15(6), 995; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods15060995 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 109
Abstract
Listeria monocytogenes poses a significant risk in meat-processing plants, especially in micro and small businesses, where structural, organisational and operational limitations make it difficult to control. Although there is evidence of its environmental distribution and recurrence, this information does not always translate into [...] Read more.
Listeria monocytogenes poses a significant risk in meat-processing plants, especially in micro and small businesses, where structural, organisational and operational limitations make it difficult to control. Although there is evidence of its environmental distribution and recurrence, this information does not always translate into clear operational criteria for risk management. To design an intervention framework for mitigating the risk associated with L. monocytogenes in micro and small meat-processing plants, based on the integration of previously published microbiological and operational evidence, the study integrated results on environmental distribution, recurrence of isolates and risk factors identified in eight plants. Functional prioritisation criteria were defined considering hygienic zoning, the function of sites in the process flow, proximity to the ready-to-eat product, and environmental conditions favourable to “persistence”. Differentiated risk scenarios and a functional hierarchy of priority intervention points were detected, prioritising site types recurrently associated with the presence of Listeria spp. and L. monocytogenes. Based on this hierarchy, the proposed intervention formulation aimed at prevention, control and environmental monitoring, adapted to the operating conditions of micro- and small-scale meat-processing plants. The proposed framework offers a transferable tool to support decisions in the management of L. monocytogenes risk in small-scale plants. Full article
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35 pages, 7787 KB  
Article
LLM-ROM: A Novel Framework for Efficient Spatiotemporal Prediction of Urban Pollutant Dispersion
by Pin Wu, Zhiyi Qin and Yiguo Yang
AI 2026, 7(3), 104; https://doi.org/10.3390/ai7030104 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 145
Abstract
Deep learning-based flow field prediction for microclimate pollutant dispersion represents an emerging and promising methodology, where effectively integrating meteorological, spatial, and temporal information remains a critical challenge. To address this, we propose a novel non-intrusive reduced-order model (ROM) that synergizes a Dilated Convolutional [...] Read more.
Deep learning-based flow field prediction for microclimate pollutant dispersion represents an emerging and promising methodology, where effectively integrating meteorological, spatial, and temporal information remains a critical challenge. To address this, we propose a novel non-intrusive reduced-order model (ROM) that synergizes a Dilated Convolutional Autoencoder (DCAE) with pre-trained large language models (LLMs). The DCAE, leveraging nonlinear mapping, was employed for extracting low-dimensional spatiotemporal flow field features. These features were then combined with textual prototypes via text embedding to enable few-shot inference using the LLM-based flow field prediction method. To optimize the utilization of pre-trained LLMs, we designed a specialized textual description template tailored for pollutant dispersion data, which enhances the contextual input of meteorological conditions to guide model predictions. Experimental validation through three-dimensional urban canyon simulations conclusively demonstrated the efficacy of the convolutional autoencoder and LLM-based framework in predicting pollutant dispersion flow fields. The proposed method exhibits remarkable transfer learning capabilities across varying street canyon geometries and meteorological conditions while significantly representing a 9.85× acceleration in prediction compared to Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Full article
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13 pages, 1762 KB  
Article
A Flexible Voltage-Regulation Method for Distribution Networks Based on Pseudo-Measurement-Assisted State Estimation
by Jiannan Qu, Xianglong Meng, Bo Zhang and Zhenhao Wang
Energies 2026, 19(6), 1405; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19061405 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 152
Abstract
To address the unobservability of distribution networks caused by insufficient coverage of measurement terminals as well as communication failures and missing data, and to cope with operating-state fluctuations induced by distributed generation integration and external environmental disturbances, this paper proposes an integrated state-estimation [...] Read more.
To address the unobservability of distribution networks caused by insufficient coverage of measurement terminals as well as communication failures and missing data, and to cope with operating-state fluctuations induced by distributed generation integration and external environmental disturbances, this paper proposes an integrated state-estimation and voltage-regulation strategy that combines distribution-network-partitioning-based optimal PMU placement with pseudo-measurement construction using power transfer distribution factors (PTDFs). First, nodal reactive-power sensitivity information is derived from the power-flow Jacobian matrix, and an improved modularity function is employed to obtain the optimal partitioning of the distribution network, based on which PMUs are deployed at partition boundary buses. Second, PTDF-based power pseudo-measurements are constructed for unobservable buses and incorporated into the measurement model via a measurement transformation; a weighted least-squares method is then adopted to achieve system-wide state estimation. Finally, the estimated voltage states are fed into flexible voltage-regulation devices to enable fast and continuous voltage adjustment across buses. Case studies on the IEEE 33-bus system demonstrate that the proposed method effectively improves voltage quality. Full article
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12 pages, 693 KB  
Article
Correlations Between OCTA Parameters and Clinical Changes in Patients Newly Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis
by Ion Iulian Enache, Vlad Eugen Tiu, Cătălina Andreea Anghel, Alina Popa Cherecheanu, Mihai Bostan, Jacqueline Chua, Chi Li, Jia Wei Cheong, Leopold Schmetterer and Cristina Tiu
Diagnostics 2026, 16(6), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16060828 - 11 Mar 2026
Viewed by 118
Abstract
Background: The eye has shown potential as a reliable, readily accessible and clinically relevant site for investigating patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) shows promise in revealing new metabolic and vascular elements driving multiple sclerosis (MS) disease pathology. This [...] Read more.
Background: The eye has shown potential as a reliable, readily accessible and clinically relevant site for investigating patients with multiple sclerosis (pwMS). Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) shows promise in revealing new metabolic and vascular elements driving multiple sclerosis (MS) disease pathology. This study aimed to explore correlations between OCTA parameters and clinical characteristics in newly diagnosed relapsing–remitting MS (RRMS) patients. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, forty-one newly diagnosed RRMS patients underwent comprehensive evaluations, including neurological examinations, functional and cognitive tests (9-Hole Peg Test, Montreal Cognitive Assessment), and OCT/OCTA scans. Multiple regression analyses assessed correlations between OCT/OCTA parameters and baseline clinical characteristics. Results: Lower superficial capillary plexus (SCP) vessel density was associated with longer disease duration, higher EDSS scores (visual, pyramidal, cerebellar, ambulation), and impaired 9-Hole Peg Test performance, especially in the non-dominant hand. Higher values of choriocapillaris (CC) flow voids correlated with worse cognitive performance (MoCA). Structural OCT parameters showed limited clinical correlations. Conclusions: OCTA-derived parameters are associated with disability, fine motor function, and cognitive performance in newly diagnosed RRMS patients without prior ON. These findings suggest that retinal vascular alterations may reflect early neurodegenerative processes and provide complementary information beyond structural OCT metrics. OCTA may represent a sensitive, non-invasive imaging biomarker for patient assessment in early MS. Full article
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25 pages, 639 KB  
Article
AI-Assisted Value Investing: A Human-in-the-Loop Framework for Prompt-Guided Financial Analysis and Decision Support
by Andrea Caridi, Marco Giovannini and Lorenzo Ricciardi Celsi
Electronics 2026, 15(6), 1155; https://doi.org/10.3390/electronics15061155 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 175
Abstract
Value investing remains grounded in intrinsic value estimation, margin-of-safety reasoning, and disciplined fundamental analysis, but its practical execution is increasingly constrained by the scale, heterogeneity, and velocity of modern financial information. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models and automated [...] Read more.
Value investing remains grounded in intrinsic value estimation, margin-of-safety reasoning, and disciplined fundamental analysis, but its practical execution is increasingly constrained by the scale, heterogeneity, and velocity of modern financial information. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI), particularly large language models and automated information-extraction systems, create new opportunities to accelerate financial analysis; however, their outputs remain probabilistic, context-dependent, and potentially error-prone, making governance and verification essential. This article proposes an AI-assisted value investing framework that integrates automated extraction, valuation modeling, explainability, and human-in-the-loop (HITL) supervision into a unified decision-support architecture. The framework is organized into three layers: (i) a data layer for traceable extraction and normalization of structured and unstructured financial information; (ii) a modeling layer for automated key performance indicator (KPI) computation, forecasting support, and discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation; and (iii) an explainability and governance layer for traceability, verification, model-risk control, and analyst oversight. A central contribution of the paper is the operational characterization of prompt literacy as a determinant of analytical reliability, showing that structured, context-aware prompts materially affect extraction correctness, usability, and verification effort. The framework is evaluated through a case study using Rivanna AI on three large U.S. beverage firms—namely, The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper—selected as a controlled, information-rich setting for comparative analysis. The results indicate that the proposed workflow can reduce end-to-end analysis time from approximately 25–40 h in a traditional manual process to approximately 8–12 h in an AI-assisted setting, including citation/source verification, unit and period reconciliation, and review of key valuation assumptions. Rather than eliminating analyst effort, AI shifts it from manual information processing toward verification, adjudication, and interpretation. Overall, the findings position AI not as an autonomous decision-maker, but as a governed reasoning accelerator whose effectiveness depends on structured human guidance, traceability, and disciplined validation. In value investing, a discipline traditionally grounded in labor-intensive fundamental analysis and disciplined intrinsic value estimation, AI introduces the potential to scale analytical coverage and accelerate evidence synthesis. However, AI systems in financial contexts are probabilistic, context-sensitive, and inherently dependent on human interaction, raising critical questions about reliability, governance, and operational integration. This article proposes a structured framework for AI-driven value investing that preserves the foundational principles of intrinsic value, margin of safety, and economic reasoning, while redesigning the analytical workflow through automation, explainability, and human-in-the-loop (HITL) supervision. The proposed architecture integrates three layers: (i) an AI-enabled data layer for traceable extraction and normalization of structured and unstructured financial information; (ii) a modeling and valuation layer combining automated KPI computation, machine learning forecasting, and discounted cash flow (DCF) valuation; and (iii) an explainability and governance layer ensuring traceability, verification, and model risk control. A central contribution of this work is the operational characterization of prompt literacy, namely the ability to formulate structured, context-aware requests to AI systems, as a critical determinant of system reliability and analytical correctness. Through a focused case study using an AI-assisted analysis platform (Rivanna AI) on three U.S. beverage firms, we provide evidence that structured prompt formulation can improve extraction consistency, reduce verification overhead, and increase workflow efficiency in a human-supervised setting. In this setting, analysis time decreased from a manual range of approximately 25–40 h to 8–12 h with AI assistance and HITL validation, while preserving traceability and decision accountability. The reported hour savings should be interpreted as conservative estimates from the initial deployment phase; additional efficiency gains are expected as operational maturity increases, driven by learning-economy effects. The findings position AI not as an autonomous decision-maker but as a probabilistic reasoning accelerator whose effectiveness depends on structured human guidance, verification discipline, and prompt-driven interaction. These results redefine the role of the financial analyst from manual data processor to reasoning architect, responsible for designing, guiding, and validating AI-assisted analytical workflows. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Feature Papers in Artificial Intelligence)
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21 pages, 1883 KB  
Article
Development and Application of EST-SSR Markers to Assess Genetic Diversity and Structure of Eleutherococcus senticosus for Conservation and Breeding
by Shikai Zhang, Luwei Ding, Cheruiyot Evans, Eliamani Singo, Jiawei Wu, Guanzheng Qu, Tuya Siqin, Xuefeng Han, Shunjie Zhang and Xiangling You
Plants 2026, 15(6), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15060860 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 189
Abstract
Eleutherococcus senticosus, a medicinally important woody plant, is widely used in pharmaceuticals and functional foods due to its bioactive compounds. Its wild populations are facing severe threats due to over-harvesting. To inform scientific conservation and sustainable utilization strategies, this study aimed to [...] Read more.
Eleutherococcus senticosus, a medicinally important woody plant, is widely used in pharmaceuticals and functional foods due to its bioactive compounds. Its wild populations are facing severe threats due to over-harvesting. To inform scientific conservation and sustainable utilization strategies, this study aimed to comprehensively assess its genetic background. We developed 13 highly polymorphic expressed sequence tag-simple sequence repeat (EST-SSR) markers from full-length transcriptome data, with an average polymorphism information content (PIC) of 0.52. Using these markers, we systematically evaluated the genetic diversity of 405 individuals from 22 natural populations across Northeast China. The results indicate that E. senticosus maintains moderate genetic diversity at the species level (mean expected heterozygosity He = 0.43), but substantial variation exists among populations. The Linjiang population showed the highest diversity (He = 0.58), whereas peripheral populations such as Tonghua (He = 0.31) and Huinan (He = 0.32) exhibited lower diversity. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed that genetic variation primarily resided within populations (66.3%), but moderate differentiation among populations was also detected (Fst = 0.21). Both structure analysis and clustering consistently divided all populations into two major genetic lineages. Frequent gene flow (e.g., Nm > 10 between Raohe and Hulin) and high genetic homogeneity were observed among populations in the core distribution area (e.g., Raohe, Jixi, Hulin), whereas several peripheral populations displayed significant genetic distinctiveness and isolation. This study provides the first macro-scale insight into the population genetic structure of E. senticosus, offering crucial molecular tools and a scientific basis for in situ and ex situ conservation, core collection establishment, and future genetic improvement of this species. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Plant Genetic Resources)
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30 pages, 2504 KB  
Article
Different Cell Wall Compositions of ESKAPE Isolates on Glass Surfaces Impact Adhesion Adaptability to Dynamic Shear Stress
by Zhuoyi Cui, Anje M. Slomp, Alesia V. Quiroga, Jelly Atema-Smit, Hans J. Kaper and Brandon W. Peterson
Microorganisms 2026, 14(3), 623; https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms14030623 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 385
Abstract
Although many studies have focused on the initial adhesion of bacteria, there have been few that looked at responses to changing environmental conditions. To more closely examine the viscoelastic nature of initial adhesion, surface-associated bacteria were quantified and monitored for their Brownian motion [...] Read more.
Although many studies have focused on the initial adhesion of bacteria, there have been few that looked at responses to changing environmental conditions. To more closely examine the viscoelastic nature of initial adhesion, surface-associated bacteria were quantified and monitored for their Brownian motion vibrations. This study used a flow chamber to observe the surface association of Enterobacter cloacae BS 1037, Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 12600, Klebsiella pneumoniae–1, Acinetobacter baumannii–1, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA O1, and Enterococcus faecalis 1396 to glass under dynamic shear rates of 7–15–30 s−1, 15–30–60 s−1, and 30–15–7 s−1. Comparing increasing and decreasing shear rates, information about retention and recovery became apparent. Coccoid bacteria primarily reacted to directional changes in shear rates with changes in either surface-associated bacterial densities or surface-associated strength independently. A. baumannii and E. faecalis did not change their associated strength, whereas S. aureus did not change its associated density. Bacillus bacteria demonstrated differences in both associations with directional changes in shear rates. We demonstrate that retention and recovery are different methods of adaptation to environmental conditions utilised by different bacterial species. These adaptations may form the basis of upregulation and downregulation responses used for survival. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Environmental Microbiology)
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24 pages, 7190 KB  
Article
Effects of Loading Direction on Mechanical Behavior of Core–Shell Cu-Al Nanoparticles Under Uniform Compressive Loading-Molecular Dynamics Study
by Phillip Tomich, Michael Zawadzki and Iman Salehinia
Crystals 2026, 16(3), 186; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16030186 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 149
Abstract
The mechanical behavior of metallic core–shell nanoparticles is critical for their use as reinforcement particles and additive manufacturing feedstocks, yet their deformation mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the compressive response of a Cu-core/Al-shell nanoparticle and compares [...] Read more.
The mechanical behavior of metallic core–shell nanoparticles is critical for their use as reinforcement particles and additive manufacturing feedstocks, yet their deformation mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study employs molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the compressive response of a Cu-core/Al-shell nanoparticle and compares it with solid Cu, solid Al, and a hollow Al shell of the same size under uniaxial loading along ⟨100⟩, ⟨110⟩, ⟨111⟩, and ⟨112⟩ directions. The single-material nanoparticles show strong anisotropy: solid Cu exhibits orientation-dependent transitions from dislocation slip to deformation twinning, while introducing a void to form a hollow Al shell reduces stiffness and strength, confines plasticity to the shell wall, and suppresses extended load-bearing twins. The Cu–Al core–shell nanoparticle combines these behaviors in an orientation-dependent manner. Under ⟨110⟩ and ⟨112⟩ loading, deformation is largely shell-dominated, whereas ⟨100⟩ and ⟨111⟩ loading more strongly activates the Cu core. Mechanistically, ⟨100⟩ is characterized by Shockley partial activity and junction/lock formation in the Al shell coupled with twinning in the Cu core; ⟨110⟩ shows primarily shell partials with limited core involvement; ⟨111⟩ promotes partial-dislocation activity in both shell and core; and ⟨112⟩ produces localized, twin-dominated bands in the Al shell with shell-thickness-dependent twin extension into the Cu core. These trends are rationalized using Schmid factor considerations for 111110 slip and 111112 partial/twinning shear, together with the effects of faceted free surfaces and the Cu–Al interface. The core–shell geometry enables two concurrent interface-mediated pathways, i.e., (i) stress transfer and reduced cross-interface transmission and (ii) circumferential bypass within the shell, which together yield only slight flow-stress increases over solid Al while markedly reducing stress serrations compared with both solid Cu and solid Al. Across all orientations, the core–shell structures also exhibit delayed yielding (higher yield strain) relative to solid Cu, indicating enhanced ductility. The results provide an atomistic basis for designing Cu–Al core–shell nanoparticles for robust particle-based processing and additive manufacturing feedstock, and for informing multiscale models with mechanism-resolved, orientation-dependent inputs. Full article
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26 pages, 3131 KB  
Article
Haptic Flow as a Symmetry-Bearing Invariant in Skilled Human Movement: A Screw-Theoretic Extension of Gibson’s Optic Flow
by Wangdo Kim
Symmetry 2026, 18(3), 471; https://doi.org/10.3390/sym18030471 - 10 Mar 2026
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Abstract
Gibson’s concept of optic flow established that perception is grounded in lawful structure generated by action. However, no formal mechanical framework has described the invariant structure of action-generated kinesthetic information during skilled manipulation. This study introduces haptic flow as a screw-theoretic invariant defined [...] Read more.
Gibson’s concept of optic flow established that perception is grounded in lawful structure generated by action. However, no formal mechanical framework has described the invariant structure of action-generated kinesthetic information during skilled manipulation. This study introduces haptic flow as a screw-theoretic invariant defined by the coupled rotational–translational organization of a body–object system. Motion capture data from a two-case comparison (one proficient and one novice golfer) were analyzed using instantaneous screw axes (ISA), pitch evolution, and cylindroid geometry derived from a linear line-complex formulation. The proficient golfer exhibited (1) progressive convergence of ISAs toward a coherent bundle, (2) stabilization of screw pitch through impact, and (3) co-cylindrical alignment of harmonic screws consistent with inertial–restoring conjugacy. In contrast, the novice golfer showed fragmented ISA organization and elevated pitch variability. These differences were descriptive rather than inferential and do not imply population-level generalization. The findings suggest that skilled manipulation is characterized by stabilization of symmetry-bearing screw invariants rather than by independent joint control. Interpreted ecologically, haptic flow is proposed as a mechanically specified candidate invariant generated by lawful body–object coupling. The present study establishes a geometric framework for quantifying such invariants while identifying the need for cross-task and perceptual validation. Full article
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