Search Results (3,517)

Climate change has significantly influenced regional precipitation patterns, affecting agricultural productivity and water-resource sustainability in monsoon-dependent regions. Reliable climate projections are therefore essential for climate impact assessment and adaptation planning. However, the performance of Regional Climate Models (RCMs) varies considerably across regions and climatic conditions, necessitating rigorous evaluation before their application in local-scale studies. In this study, eight CORDEX-CORE South Asia (0.22°) RCMs were evaluated for their ability to reproduce historical precipitation over Thanjavur district, Tamil Nadu, India, during 1976–2005 using observed rainfall data from 13 rain gauge stations. Model performance was assessed using seven statistical metrics integrated through the Compromise Programming Index (CPI), together with evaluations of precipitation occurrence, rainfall intensity occurrence, and cumulative precipitation distribution. The results revealed considerable variability among the RCMs. RegCM-based models generally exhibited wet biases, whereas REMO and CCLIM tended to underestimate seasonal rainfall. Based on the selected metrics and CPI framework, NorESM–RegCM, NorESM-CCLIM, and NorESM-REMO demonstrated comparatively better overall performance. However, analyses of precipitation occurrence and distribution showed that model performance depended on the precipitation characteristic considered, with no single RCM consistently outperforming the others across all evaluation criteria. These findings demonstrate that a multi-criteria evaluation framework provides a more comprehensive assessment of RCM performance than conventional statistical metrics alone and offers a robust basis for selecting suitable RCMs for future climate projections and agro-hydrological applications in the Cauvery Delta region. Full article

In grid-connected smart integrated energy systems with high shares of renewable generation, source-side variability and inadequate coordination among battery storage, other energy carriers, and the external grid limit local renewable-electricity utilization and impede deep decarbonization. This study proposes a machine-learning-assisted, renewable-driven framework for multi-energy coupling and scenario-based multi-objective optimization of electricity–heat–hydrogen–storage systems. Historical meteorological and load data are processed using K-means clustering and Latin hypercube sampling to construct representative operating scenarios across multiple volatility regimes and characterize source–load uncertainty. The equipment model includes photovoltaic arrays, wind turbines, heat pumps, electrolyzers, fuel cells, grid-interactive battery energy storage, thermal storage, and hydrogen storage; cross-carrier conversion dynamics and emissions from purchased electricity and natural gas are embedded in the energy-balance constraints. A mixed-integer linear programming formulation then co-optimizes battery charging and discharging, grid exchange, and other multi-energy flows with respect to operating cost, carbon emissions, and renewable-energy curtailment. At 95% renewable-energy penetration, the proposed method achieves a renewable-energy absorption rate of 91.6% and a curtailment rate of 8.4%. Across the carbon-price cases, annualized operating cost ranges from 126.5 × 10⁴ to 141.2 × 10⁴ USD yr⁻¹, while carbon-emission intensity ranges from 26.4 to 38.5 gCO₂/kWh_eq. Under the specified high-risk grid disturbances, the coordinated strategy limits load shedding to 1.8%—73% below deterministic scheduling and 79% below the heuristic benchmark—and maintains 92.6% hydrogen self-sufficiency. These results provide a data-driven modeling and decision framework for battery–grid coordination and deep decarbonization in smart integrated energy systems. Full article

This study develops a probabilistic carbon-aware optimization framework for residential 24/7 carbon-free electricity (CFE) under uncertain load, PV generation and dynamic grid carbon intensity. Historical half-hourly monitoring data are represented through KDE-Copula scenario generation, while grid carbon factors are described by time-series decomposition and ARMA-based residual scenarios. A two-stage mixed-integer linear program jointly sizes and dispatches battery energy storage (BESS) and thermal energy storage (TES) by minimizing annualized lifecycle CO₂ emissions. The results show that coordinated BESS–TES operation improves PV utilization and avoids carbon-intensive grid imports, especially in winter. In the examined capacity range, increasing BESS capacity from 0 to 100 kWh reduces annual lifecycle emissions from approximately 8600 to 6000 kg CO₂ yr⁻¹, corresponding to about a 30% reduction, whereas the marginal benefit of additional TES is constrained by DHW demand and its embodied emissions. Electrical storage is therefore the principal carbon-shifting resource, while a moderately sized TES complements it by moving heat-pump operation toward low-carbon and PV-rich periods. The framework provides a practical basis for carbon-aware design of residential electrification systems. Full article

This study examined the effects of an eight-week core strengthening exercise program on menstrual pain, menstrual symptoms, and quality of life in sedentary female university students with self-reported primary dysmenorrhea. Sixty female students (age: 21.8 ± 3.4 years) were randomly assigned to a core strengthening exercise group (EG; n = 30) or a control group (CG; n = 30). Pain intensity was assessed using the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) at baseline (T1), after four weeks (T2) and after eight weeks of intervention (T3). Menstrual symptoms and quality of life were evaluated using the Menstrual Symptom Questionnaire (MSQ) and the WHO Quality of Life–BREF (WHOQOL-BREF), respectively. NRS scores in the EG were significantly lower at T2 and T3 compared with T1 (p < 0.01). The EG showed significant reductions in negative symptoms, pain, management, and total MSQ scores, whereas management and total MSQ scores increased in the CG (p < 0.01). Significant improvements were observed in all WHOQOL domains (physical, psychological, social relationships, and environment) in the EG (p < 0.01). An eight-week core strengthening exercise program may help reduce menstrual pain and symptoms and improve quality of life in female university students with self-reported primary dysmenorrhea. Full article

Background: Acute brain injury, including traumatic brain injury (TBI), stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage and secondary neurological injury, such as sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) and delirium, is a major cause of morbidity in the intensive care unit (ICU), and few treatments alter its course once it is established. Critical illness, and brain injury in particular, rapidly disrupts the gut microbiome (GM) and the production of its metabolites. This dysbiosis matters most in neurologically injured patients, because microbial metabolites and a leaky intestinal barrier feed neuroinflammation through the gut–brain axis. Feeding timing and fasting affect circadian biology, the daily rhythm of the GM, and host metabolic pathways, such as ketogenesis, insulin signaling and autophagy. This review asks whether time-restricted or fasting-mimicking strategies can preserve these functions and reduce neuroimmune dysregulation after brain injury. Methods: In this narrative review, we searched the literature for randomized trials, crossover pilot studies, mechanistic human research, and guideline statements comparing continuous, cyclic, and intermittent enteral strategies, and evaluated translational pathways for GM-targeted feeding interventions. Results: Available studies showed no consistent difference in mortality between continuous and intermittent gastric feeding in ICU adults on mechanical ventilation, although the largest pooled analyses report more diarrhea, more abdominal distension and longer ICU stay with intermittent schedules, most pronounced in ventilated patients. While intermittent/cyclic regimens were not associated with an improvement of patient-centered outcomes, pilot studies demonstrated that short macronutrient interruptions (e.g., 12 h) reliably induced a metabolic fasting response in patients with a prolonged ICU stay. One randomized controlled trial (RCT) had GM end-points and reported feasible modulation of gut taxa and 58 differentially abundant serum metabolites with sequential (continuous-to-intermittent) feeding. Only five studies enrolled dedicated brain-injured cohorts; none was designed around neurological or gut–brain mechanistic outcomes, and none measured GM or neuroinflammation. Conclusions: Time-restricted, microbiome-protecting approaches are biologically plausible and deserve a phased translational program to test them in clinical trials. Future trials should focus on brain-injured and other neurologically relevant ICU patients, in whom the gut–brain axis is most engaged, and should pair mechanistic endpoints with clinical safety and proper control for confounders. No clinical study has yet tested whether non-continuous feeding alters neuroinflammatory or neurological outcomes after acute brain injury. There is currently no direct evidence supporting the effectiveness of this intervention in this population, and the case made here is mechanistic, not empirical. Full article

This paper examines cultural institutions as architectural infrastructures that extend beyond physical boundaries to generate events, shape collective spatial experience, and contribute to the production of urban memory. Instead of interpreting the city primarily through permanent architectural forms, this research conceptualizes the urban environment as an archive of events, arguing that urban memory emerges continuously through interactions between architecture, collective action, and temporally situated spatial practices. The study investigates the Youth Tribune (Serbian: Tribina mladih) in Novi Sad as a case study of an institutional space whose architectural configuration and program enabled neo-avant-garde artistic practices to expand into public space. Attention is given to two performative actions–Linija (English: Line) by Tomaž Šalamun and the OHO Group, and Srce-predmet (English: Heart-Object) by Bogdanka Poznanović–analyzed here as spatial sequences that reorganized relationships between architecture, public space, and the collective. Methodologically, the research combines archival analysis with cartographic mapping to reconstruct movement trajectories, spatial transitions, and points of intensity generated by these ephemeral interventions. The findings suggest that cultural institutions can operate as spatial frameworks for event generation, shifting the analytical understanding of architecture from passive enclosure towards an active framework in memory production. By establishing this infrastructure-event framework, the paper advances architectural and urban theory with an analytical tool applicable to broader studies on architecture’s role in collective urban experience. Full article

Background/Objectives: Neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) may remodel the breast-cancer microenvironment. We evaluated paired changes in programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) before and after NAT, and associations with the residual cancer burden (RCB) and survival. Methods: This retrospective study included 102 patients with residual invasive breast cancer after NAT: 34 with luminal B-like/HER2-negative, 34 with luminal B-like/HER2-positive, and 34 with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). PD-L1 was assessed using the 22C3 combined positive score, VEGF by the cytoplasmic staining intensity, and stromal TILs according to international recommendations. Results: The median tumor size decreased from 2.5 to 1.7 cm (p < 0.001), the PD-L1 CPS (combined positive score) from 6 to 5 (p = 0.039), and the TILs from 15% to 10% (p < 0.001), whereas VEGF shifted toward stronger staining (p = 0.03). In TNBC, the PD-L1 CPS decreased from 10 to 5 (p = 0.003) and the TILs from 20% to 8% (p < 0.001). Biomarkers were not associated with the RCB in the overall cohort. The initial tumor size predicted RCB II/III (OR: 2.60, p = 0.038). The overall survival differed by subtype (p < 0.001). Conclusions: NAT has induced subtype-dependent immune and angiogenic changes, supporting biomarker reassessment in residual disease. Full article

Crop-protection programs in flooded rice may influence root-zone microbial communities and their seasonal dynamics. This study evaluated microbial responses to untreated, conventional, and GroMore^® crop-protection programs in a farmer-managed paddy field in Korea using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing and soil pesticide residue analysis. Methanogen- and aerobic methanotroph-associated taxa were evaluated as taxonomic proxies and examined in relation to grain yield, seasonal CH₄ emission, and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI). GroMore did not consistently increase alpha diversity; however, treatment effects were significant for Shannon diversity (p = 0.025) and Chao1 richness (p = 0.024) in July, and treatment-associated differences in overall microbial community composition were evident from July through September (p = 0.001 for each month). During August, methane-related taxonomic proxies differed among treatments, but the methanogen-to-methanotroph taxonomic abundance ratio was not significantly associated with seasonal CH₄ emission (r = 0.44, p = 0.377). Selected GroMore treatments showed 26.5–32.4% lower GHGI than the conventional treatment, primarily because of higher grain yield rather than reduced seasonal CH₄ emission. Overall, GroMore programs were associated with seasonally structured root-zone microbial community differences, while methane-related taxa were interpreted as ecological proxies rather than direct indicators of methane-cycling function. Full article

Climate change and environmental variability pose major challenges to sustainable wheat production, highlighting the need for stable and high-yielding cultivars. This study evaluated fifteen bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes across twelve environments during two consecutive growing seasons using a randomized complete block design with three replications. Stability and performance were assessed using Additive Main Effects and Multiplicative Interaction (AMMI), Genotype main plus Genotype × Environment (GGE) biplot, and multi-trait stability index (MTSI). AMMI combined ANOVA indicated that both grain yield per plot and falling number were significantly affected by genotype, environment and their interaction (GEI). The GGE biplot revealed that the first two principal components together explained 86.92% of the total variation in grain yield per plot and 88.27% for falling number, demonstrating the reliability of the model in interpreting GEI patterns. AMMI and GGE biplot analyses consistently identified Sakha 95 (G1), Misr 4 (G3), Sakha Line#1 (G6), Sakha Line#2 (G7), Gemmeiza Line#2 (G14), and Gemmeiza Line#3 (G15) as high-yielding and stable genotypes across environments. In contrast, Sakha Line#4 (G9), Sakha Line#6 (G11), Sakha Line#7 (G12), and Gemmeiza Line#1 (G13) showed poor adaptation and low stability. MTSI further refined selection by integrating yield and quality traits, identifying Gemmeiza Line#3, Sakha Line#3, Sakha Line#2, and Giza 171 as superior genotypes at 25% selection intensity, characterized by low MTSI values. The identification of stable, high-performing genotypes with desirable grain quality can contribute to sustainable wheat production by improving yield reliability under diverse environmental conditions and supporting more efficient cultivar selection for climate-resilient wheat production. Overall, integrating AMMI, GGE biplot, and MTSI provided a robust framework for identifying stable and high-performing wheat genotypes, supporting selection decisions in multi-environment breeding programs. Full article

Teacher education programs increasingly recognize emotion regulation as central to teachers’ professional functioning, particularly in settings serving at-risk youth. Yet less is known about how pre-service teachers learn to apply explicit regulation skills during practicum. This qualitative study examined reflective journals written by 47 teacher trainees who participated in an eight-week low-intensity Dialectical Behavior Therapy (LI-DBT) workshop. Reflexive thematic analysis explored emotionally demanding practicum encounters, spontaneous regulation attempts, use of DBT skills, perceived well-being, and professional insights. Findings showed an uneven pattern: participants continued to report emotional flooding and difficulty accessing skills in real time, yet many began to use mindfulness, distress tolerance, and emotion-regulation skills to pause, tolerate distress, and respond more deliberately. The study suggests that LI-DBT may help translate social-emotional learning into situated professional practice in teacher education. Full article

Background: Upper-body exercise is increasingly applied in athletic and exercise settings; however, acute physiological and perceptual differences compared to lower-body exercise remain insufficiently characterized. This study compared maximal performance parameters during incremental upper- and lower-body exercise in healthy adults. Methods: Seventeen moderately trained participants (eight females, nine males) completed randomized incremental tests on a hand crank ergometer (HCE) and a cycle ergometer (CE). Maximal fat oxidation (MFO), intensity at maximal fat oxidation (FAT_max), peak oxygen uptake (VO₂^peak), maximal heart rate (HR_peak), peak power output (PPO), immediate post-exercise lactate (LA_post), and differentiated ratings of perceived exertion (RPE_breathing and RPE_muscles) were assessed. Results: MFO was significantly lower during HCE compared with CE (0.26 vs. 0.55 g·min⁻¹, p < 0.001), occurring at a lower FAT_max (42.6% vs. 51.6% of VO₂^peak_, p = 0.016). Furthermore, relative VO₂^peak (34.1 vs. 48.9 mL·kg⁻¹·min⁻¹, p < 0.001), HR_peak (178 vs. 189 beats·min⁻¹, p < 0.001), and relative PPO (1.8 vs. 4.1 W·kg⁻¹, p < 0.001) were substantially reduced during HCE. While RPE_breathing was higher during CE (19.1 vs. 17.6, p < 0.001), RPE_muscles (19.4 vs. 19.8, p = 0.111) and LA_post (9.8 vs. 8.6 mmol·L⁻¹, p = 0.060) did not differ significantly between modalities. No significant modality-by-sex interactions were observed for any outcome. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate pronounced modality-specific differences in metabolic, cardiorespiratory, and perceptual responses. Exercise modality should therefore be carefully considered when interpreting maximal exercise tests and prescribing training or rehabilitation programs. Full article

Intestinal parasitic infections, particularly soil-transmitted helminths (STHs), remain a major public health concern in low- and middle-income countries. As control programs reduce infection intensity, accurate diagnosis becomes increasingly challenging. The McMaster technique has been proposed as an alternative diagnostic method for detecting human intestinal parasites; however, its diagnostic performance in human populations remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity of the McMaster technique for detecting intestinal parasites, particularly STHs. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted in accordance with the PRISMA guidelines and registered in PROSPERO (CRD420261298952). Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Ovid, Nursing & Allied Health Premium, and Google Scholar) were searched up to January 2026. Studies assessing the McMaster technique in human populations and reporting sufficient data to calculate sensitivity were included. A random-effects model was used to estimate pooled sensitivity, with subgroup analyses by parasite species, geographic region, and population characteristics. Risk of bias was assessed using the the Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies-2 (QUADAS-2) tool. Among the 1514 records identified through database searching, 10 studies were included in the final analysis. The pooled sensitivity of the McMaster technique was 73% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 67–78%; I² = 91.0%) for detecting any intestinal parasites and 72% (95% CI: 65–78%; I² = 93.5%) for STHs. Species-specific sensitivities were 67% (95% CI: 61–72%; I² = 80.7%) for Ascaris lumbricoides, 79% (95% CI: 57–91%; I² = 96.9%) for Trichuris trichiura, and 71% (95% CI: 61–80%; I² = 89.9%) for hookworms. The McMaster technique demonstrates moderate sensitivity for detecting intestinal parasites in humans. While it offers practical advantages for field applications, its reduced sensitivity in low-intensity infections limits its utility as a standalone diagnostic tool in control and elimination settings. Further research should focus on methodological standardization and integration with more sensitive diagnostic approaches. Full article

Post-disaster emergency logistics is often organized according to prespecified response periods, although operational relief tasks may be completed earlier or later than those calendar boundaries. This study develops a task-completion-triggered multi-stage resource-allocation mechanism (TCMS) for a two-echelon emergency logistics network. Effective first-contact coverage and cumulative forward deployment generate three sequential operational stages—rapid coverage, intensive deployment, and recovery support—through a one-period state-update rule. The operational stage determines the priority regime used to select among feasible allocation schedules. The mechanism is evaluated within a common direct-decision rolling-horizon mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) framework. At each decision epoch, policy-neutral cost-service candidates are generated using total cost and cumulative raw weighted backlog, whereas the current operational stage supplies stage-dependent priority coefficients for selecting the implemented action. TCMS and a fixed-stage baseline therefore differ in the source of their operational stage, while a stage-free rolling-horizon benchmark retains a neutral priority regime. Computational experiments include formulation validation, Base and Medium rolling-horizon policy comparisons, a Large static MILP reference, and trigger-parameter and stage-priority-coefficient sensitivity analyses. The results show that endogenous stage timing changes the selected cost-service operating point, with effects varying across instances. Sensitivity analysis further shows that transition timing and allocation outcomes can vary with trigger settings and stage-priority calibration. TCMS is particularly suited to settings in which transition timing cannot be specified reliably in advance, and managers require an observable basis for adjusting allocation priorities as relief operations progress. Full article

Under intensive urbanization, botanical gardens soils can serve as reference plots for urban areas, reflecting both natural (pedogenic) and anthropogenic factors of soil formation. In this context, historical and archeological information on the Botanical garden of Saint Petersburg State University (BG SPbU) is presented. For the first time, morphological, physicochemical, and ecotoxicological characteristics of the BG SPbU soils are assessed using full-profile soil pits. The ecological features of the BG SPbU are noted, and the specific structure of the upper soil layer (up to 2 m) is examined. The physicochemical properties of the BG SPbU soils are consistent with the optimal levels for green spaces of the highest (I) category. In the 0–90 cm layer of the studied soil pits, elevated concentrations (relative to Russian regulatory standards) of toxic trace elements (lead, zinc, arsenic) are found. No signs of vegetation stress were detected during the survey. At the same time, the measured concentrations of Pb, Zn, and As exceed the Russian MPC (maximum permissible concentrations) and APC (approximate permissible concentrations) for heavy metals. These exceedances provide important information for further monitoring and decision-making regarding urban pollution regulation, and contribute to the discussion on revising the MPC and APC values in line with international standards. The results can be used to optimize management practices for green spaces of the BG SPbU and can also be incorporated into the long-term urban environmental monitoring program initiated in Saint Petersburg in 1991. Full article

Ecosystem carbon storage is highly sensitive to land-use/land-cover change (LUCC). However, retrospective carbon assessment, spatial factor analysis, and future land-use optimization are often conducted separately, limiting their ability to support territorial planning involving competing economic, ecological, and carbon-storage objectives. Taking Jiangsu Province, China, as a rapidly urbanizing region, this study developed an integrated framework combining multi-temporal remote-sensing-derived land-use data with the InVEST carbon storage model, Geodetector, multi-objective programming (MOP), and the intPLUS model. Land-use data from 2000, 2010, and 2020 were used to quantify changes in land use and ecosystem carbon storage and to examine how natural, socioeconomic, and accessibility conditions corresponded spatially to the observed land-use configuration. Pareto optimization was then applied to identify non-dominated land-use allocations, which were spatialized to simulate five land-use scenarios for 2030. From 2000 to 2020, cropland decreased by 7475 km², while construction land increased by 6974 km². Correspondingly, ecosystem carbon storage declined from 1431.85 Mt to 1402.55 Mt, representing a cumulative loss of 29.30 Mt. This decline was primarily associated with cropland loss and construction land expansion, particularly the conversion of cropland into construction land. Although the overall spatial pattern of carbon storage remained relatively stable, high-value areas gradually contracted, whereas low-value areas expanded in intensively urbanized regions. Geodetector results showed that pairwise factor combinations generally corresponded more closely to the spatial differentiation of land-use patterns than individual topographic factors, and that associations involving socioeconomic activity, transport accessibility, and vegetation cover became more pronounced over time. The 2030 scenario analysis revealed clear trade-offs: the carbon storage maximization scenario produced the highest carbon storage (1497.47 Mt), the economic development scenario generated the highest economic benefit but the lowest ecosystem service value, and the natural development scenario produced the lowest carbon storage (1384.46 Mt). The Pareto-based comprehensive optimization scenario maintained 1487.12 Mt of carbon while achieving a comparatively balanced combination of economic benefit and ecosystem service value. These findings demonstrate that integrating multi-temporal remote sensing, ecosystem-service modeling, and Pareto optimization can translate historical land-use information into flexible spatial planning alternatives for rapidly urbanizing regions. Full article