Search Results (16,089)

Historic districts are conserved through visible fabric, while locality is also sustained by everyday sounds, language, and social activity. This study examines the spatial patterning of perceived multisensory homogenization across five historic districts in Yunnan, China. We combine street-view imagery for all sites, synchronous field recordings at 340 sampling points on Ximen Street, pairwise human judgments, multimodal model scoring, and explainable machine learning. For the other four districts, auditory variables represent image-derived proxies for potential soundscape conditions, rather than measured acoustics. The results reveal a mismatch between visual preservation and auditory locality: streets that retain historic façades may still be perceived as losing distinctive soundmarks and everyday acoustic identity. In the fitted models, standardized signage, generic decoration, and consumption-oriented frontages are associated with higher visual homogenization predictions, whereas dialect-related cues, resident activity, and diverse everyday sound events are associated with stronger auditory locality. The findings support heritage governance that considers not only material appearance but also the social and acoustic conditions through which place distinctiveness is maintained. Full article

This study investigates track sand deposition on the leeward side of subgrade windbreak walls along the Xinjiang section of the Lanzhou–Xinjiang High-Speed Railway. Numerical simulations and wind tunnel tests were conducted to compare flow-field reconstruction, sand transport, and track sand deposition under three structural configurations. The results show that a strong shear layer and a large-scale recirculation vortex form behind a single windbreak wall. The local reverse velocity reaches approximately −10 m/s, which can entrain sand particles back toward the track area. Adding a second wall at the leeward slope toe reduces near-surface wind speed to some extent, but local vortices and high-shear zones remain. In contrast, placing checkerboard sand barriers at the leeward slope toe effectively weakens near-surface recirculation and bed shear. This configuration maintains surface shear stress near the track below 0.5 Pa and reduces sand concentration by approximately 60–80% compared with the single-wall structure. At wind speeds of 15–30 m/s, the checkerboard sand barrier maintains strong sand-reduction performance. Near-surface peak sand concentration decreases by about 38–75%, and track sand deposition decreases by about 42–43% relative to the single-wall structure. These findings indicate that checkerboard sand barriers on the leeward side of windbreak walls can substantially reduce the risk of secondary sand deposition induced by the walls. The proposed leeward-side protection measure can effectively mitigate sand accumulation on railway infrastructure, thereby improving the long-term operational safety, resilience, and sustainability of high-speed railways in desert environments under increasing wind–sand hazards. Full article

Fe-based medium-entropy alloys (MEAs) are a cost-effective class of multi-principal-element alloys with tunable mechanical behavior. Their key advantage lies in the ability of Fe-rich, non-equiatomic compositions to regulate phase stability, deformation behavior, and strain hardening without relying heavily on expensive Co, Ni, or V. Increasing evidence shows that metastable face-centered cubic (FCC) matrices can provide excellent combinations of strength and ductility when their transformation behavior is properly controlled. Through compositional tuning and microstructural regulation, the phase stability, stacking-fault energy, precipitation behavior, and deformation pathways of Fe-based MEAs can be adjusted to achieve a balance between strength, ductility, and service reliability. This review critically synthesizes the metastability, microstructure, strengthening mechanisms, and service-oriented design principles of Fe-based MEAs. The literature discussed in this review was selected from peer-reviewed studies that report clear links among alloy composition, processing history, microstructure, deformation behavior, and mechanical or service-related properties. Unlike reviews that mainly classify alloy systems or deformation modes, this work emphasizes how metastability engineering and microstructural design can be integrated to guide application-specific alloy development. Representative Fe-rich non-equiatomic alloy systems are compared to clarify how alloying and processing regulate metastability, precipitation behavior, transformation kinetics, and strain partitioning. This review highlights that superior properties arise from the coordinated control of metastability, heterogeneous microstructures, and strengthening mechanisms. A central conclusion is that controlled transformation kinetics, rather than the pursuit of a maximum martensite fraction, is the key design variable for sustaining strain hardening and achieving stable strength–ductility synergy. Remaining challenges include quantitative deconvolution of coupled mechanisms, reliable prediction of local metastability, long-term microstructural stability, manufacturability, cost–performance balance, and integration of high-throughput experiments with computational alloy design. Overall, this review provides a service-oriented design framework for high-performance, low-cost Fe-based MEAs through the integrated control of composition, metastability, microstructure, processing, strengthening mechanisms, and application-specific performance. Full article

Cotton damping-off caused by Rhizoctonia solani restricts seedling establishment, and locally adapted biocontrol isolates are potential components of sustainable disease management. This study evaluated Pseudomonas chlororaphis-like isolate M6 and tested whether molecular profiles in M6-protected plants differed from those in Pathogen-infected plants in directions that moved toward Healthy Control levels. Culturable bacteria from root-associated soils were screened against R. solani by dual-culture assays, and M6 was evaluated in a greenhouse cotton damping-off assay. RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) and untargeted liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC–MS) data from Healthy Control, Pathogen-infected, and M6-protected plants at 0 and 7 d were analyzed using the Pathogen-infected versus Healthy Control and M6-protected versus Pathogen-infected contrasts. M6 produced the highest inhibition among the candidate isolates (81.9%). Under greenhouse conditions, the M6-protected treatment had lower disease incidence (22.2% versus 88.9%) and disease index (16.4 versus 76.8) than the Pathogen-infected treatment. At 7 d, the primary false-discovery-rate-controlled analysis identified 4457 transcripts and 1620 LC–MS features for which the change between M6-protected and Pathogen-infected plants was opposite to the pathogen-associated change and the M6-protected group mean was closer to the Healthy Control mean. Additional nominal-p-value-only results were retained as exploratory. The two contrasts involved redox regulation, phenylpropanoid/benzenoid-related metabolism, hormone/defense signaling, protein synthesis and central metabolism. Antioxidant enzyme and quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR) data provided independent support for selected redox- and defense-associated differences. Because pathogen biomass, bacterial colonization and antagonism-deficient mutants were not assessed, the molecular profiles are interpreted as association-based features of the protected state rather than evidence that host recovery caused disease reduction. Most LC–MS annotations are putative and were not confirmed with authentic standards. Full article

Post-operative infections remain a challenge in implant surgery, leading to prolonged treatment, increased costs, and implant failure. Localized antibiotic-delivery coatings are a promising strategy to reduce infection risk while maintaining biocompatibility. Here, we evaluate cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) spraying as a solvent-free method to deposit polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) layers containing amikacin on stainless steel and to identify plasma parameters that control release and antibacterial activity. A 3 × 3 factorial design varied nozzle distance (15, 20, 25 mm) and speed (10, 15, 20 cm/s). Surface morphology was assessed by optical microscopy, amikacin release quantified by HPLC-HRMS, and antibacterial activity tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli using Kirby–Bauer disc diffusion. Two-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc tests and nonparametric validation were applied. Cold plasma spraying speed significantly affected drug release, whereas distance and the interaction term were not significant. Lower spraying speeds produced thicker, more porous coatings with greater cumulative release and larger inhibition zones. Drug release profiles were best described by Weibull and first-order models, showing an initial burst followed by sustained release. These findings indicate that CAP spraying enables solvent-free fabrication of antibiotic-loaded PVA coatings with tunable release, and optimizing spraying speed improves coating mass, drug delivery, and antibacterial performance. Full article

This study analyzes how the integration of native maize cultivation, cultural identity, and technological innovation can promote sustainable and experiential tourism in rural Mexico. The research was conducted in the community of Llano de Guadalupe, Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca. The participatory Action Research process progressed through institutional coordination, participatory diagnosis, biofertilization training, monitoring activities, and community dissemination phases conducted between 3 March 2025 to 25 May 2026. The methodological process included institutional coordination, participatory diagnosis, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, field observations, and the implementation of agroecological practices based on biofertilization. An AI-assisted illustrated field notebook was co-designed to support intercultural education, knowledge exchange, and community participation. The study also incorporated collaborative storytelling, seed preservation practices, and the co-design of sustainable tourism routes grounded in local gastronomy, biodiversity, and agricultural traditions. Preliminary impact indicators showed the expansion of participation from two pilot producers to 54 local producers after community dissemination activities. Findings indicate that the integration of traditional ecological knowledge with generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) can strengthen community empowerment, intergenerational learning, and sustainable livelihoods while preserving biocultural heritage. The proposed circular framework connects ecological, social, cultural, and economic subsystems by transforming agroecological practices into educational and tourism assets. The results suggest that Indigenous and rural communities can lead sustainable destination development when supported through participatory governance, inclusive education, and context-sensitive technological innovation. The Tlaxiaco case offers a transferable framework for sustainable rural development that contributes to food sovereignty, biodiversity conservation, environmental stewardship, and local economic resilience. Full article

Developing sustainable lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) requires binder–carbon interfaces that combine mechanical compatibility, interfacial cohesion, and reduced environmental impact. In this work, density functional theory calculations were used to evaluate the interactions of representative binder monomers acrylonitrile (AN), pyrrole (PY), vinylidene fluoride (VDF), and tetrafluoroethylene (TFE) with pristine graphene and chitosan-functionalized graphene oxide (GO/chitosan). Structural, energetic, electronic, and topological features were analyzed using counterpoise-corrected interaction energies, frontier-orbital descriptors, molecular electrostatic potential maps, projected density of states, noncovalent interaction analysis, and quantum theory of atoms in molecules topology. Final interaction energies were obtained at the M06-2X/def2-TZVP level with Boys–Bernardi counterpoise correction to provide a more robust description of weak noncovalent adsorption. Most binder–surface interactions fall within a weak, near-thermoneutral adsorption regime. On pristine graphene, AN and PY exhibit weakly favorable adsorption, with minimum counterpoise-corrected interaction energies of −3.13 and −2.10 kcal mol⁻¹, respectively, whereas TFE and VDF show orientation-dependent, near-neutral behavior. GO/chitosan introduces oxygen-containing and amino functionalities that modify the adsorption balance, particularly for selected perpendicular configurations of fluorinated monomers, although the net stabilization remains modest. NCI, QTAIM, MEP, and PDOS analyses indicate that surface functionalization increases the chemical heterogeneity and directionality of local contacts; however, these local descriptors do not necessarily translate into strong global adsorption energies. Overall, the results identify GO/chitosan as a chemically tunable interface for binder–carbon compatibility in LIB electrodes and demonstrate the importance of triple-ζ, counterpoise-corrected calculations for evaluating weak binder–surface interactions. Full article

The development of biodegradable polymer composites from renewable resources is important for reducing dependence on petroleum-based plastics and improving the sustainability of short-life-cycle products. However, poly(butylene succinate) (PBS)/poly(lactic acid) (PLA) blends are generally immiscible, and the reinforcing effect of alkali-treated hemp stem fiber (HSF) on their mechanical, thermal, rheological, morphological, and biodegradation behavior remains insufficiently understood. This study investigates PBS/PLA biocomposites prepared at fixed blend ratios of 90/10 and 80/20 wt.% and reinforced with 5–20 phr alkali-treated HSF. Hemp stem fibers are treated using 5 wt.% NaOH, dried, sieved, and compounded with PBS/PLA blends in an internal mixer at 190 °C and 50 rpm for 15 min, and fabricated by hot compression molding at 190 °C for 13 min. The incorporation of HSF improves composite stiffness, with the highest Young’s modulus of 306 MPa observed for the 80/20/15 composition, representing a 71% increase over neat PBS. The maximum flexural strength reaches 48 MPa for 90/10/20, while the highest flexural modulus reaches 1377 MPa for 80/20/20, representing improvements of 21% and 77%, respectively. In contrast, tensile stress at break and elongation at break generally decrease with HSF incorporation because localized fiber agglomeration, incomplete matrix wetting, and interfacial gaps limit effective stress transfer, particularly at higher HSF loadings. The MFR exhibits composition-dependent, non-monotonic behavior. The addition of PLA initially increases the MFR relative to neat PBS, whereas higher HSF loadings generally reduce the MFR due to restricted polymer chain mobility and increased resistance to melt flow. FT-IR results indicate no strong chemical interactions among PBS, PLA, and HSF, while DSC shows nearly unchanged melting temperatures but composition-dependent changes in PBS crystallinity and crystallization behavior. FESEM confirms a phase-separated PBS/PLA morphology with embedded HSF. Soil burial tests show increased weight loss with higher HSF content and exposure time, confirming enhanced biodegradation. Full article

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative joint disorder characterized primarily by cartilage degradation and extensive inflammation. Its pathological progression is closely associated with the dysregulation of critical signaling pathways; consequently, the therapeutic targets of these pathways have become crucial for intervening underlying mechanisms of cartilage damage. Extensive laboratory studies have found that mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (MSC-Exos) can deliver bioactive cargoes such as microRNAs (miRNAs) and antioxidant enzymes to modulate these targets, thereby exerting therapeutic effects that include mitigating inflammation, inhibiting chondrocyte apoptosis, maintaining extracellular matrix homeostasis, and promoting tissue repair. However, the clinical translation of MSC-Exos is significantly hampered by inherent limitations, including source variability, low stability, and rapid clearance from the joint cavity. Hydrogels, recognized for their excellent biocompatibility, three-dimensional biomimetic architecture, and controlled drug release capabilities, have been used for OA therapy. Therefore, this review summarizes current research on the combined application of exosomes and hydrogels for OA treatment, and proposes optimization strategies for exosome preconditioning, hydrogel material selection, and hydrogel functional design. These strategies aim to enhance exosome functionality as well as enable sustained responsive, and localized exosome release within the joint, thereby improving the therapeutic efficacy for OA. Full article

Farmers play a critical role in preserving agricultural biodiversity and ensuring the continuity of local seeds. For this reason, protecting local seeds and passing them on to future generations are urgent priorities for agricultural sustainability. In this study, the villages of Çıralı, Öğdem, and Mutlugün in the Düzler Highland of the Yusufeli District of Artvin Province—where local seed use is prevalent and agricultural production is most intensive—were examined. The aim of this research was to reveal farmers’ patterns in selecting and using local seeds in the Düzler Highland, to identify the factors affecting local seed selection, and to develop recommendations regarding the sustainability of local seeds. The primary material of the study comprised data collected through face-to-face surveys administered to 50 farmers across the three villages. Factor analysis was used to identify determinants of farmers’ use of local seed and of agricultural sustainability. According to the results, all farmers used local seeds, and 34% of farmers also use non-local seeds. The most important factors influencing farmers’ use of local seeds were socio-cultural and market factors, as well as and economic factors; together, they accounted for 55.62% of the variance. In conclusion, individual efforts by farmers alone are not sufficient to protect and sustain local seeds: measures such as providing institutional support, providing training, strengthening seed-exchange networks, and developing mechanisms for marketing local products are required. Full article

A green variant of the mini-QuEChERS procedure was developed for the extraction of boscalid and pyraclostrobin from strawberries, these pesticides being commonly used for spraying strawberry plants. To enhance the greenness and overall environmental sustainability of the extraction method, the selection of green extraction solvent, testing of custom-made clean-up sorbents and miniaturization of the extraction procedure were studied. N-amyl acetate as a green reagent was selected as the extraction solvent. Carbonaceous sorbents made from furniture manufacture waste were prepared by pyrolyzation and proposed as a green alternative to traditionally used graphitized carbon black in the dispersive solid phase extraction clean-up step of the mini-QuEChERS procedure. The green mini-QuEChERS procedure was combined with GC-MS analysis and the method was validated. The limit of detection and quantification were 0.58 μg/kg and 1.75 μg/kg for boscalid and 4.60 μg/kg and 13.8 μg/kg for pyraclostrobin, respectively. The extraction recoveries ranged from 75% to 92%. Repeatability, expressed as the relative standard deviation was 13% and 6% for boscalid and pyraclostrobin at 25 μg/kg, 6% and 4% for boscalid and pyraclostrobin at 125 μg/kg, and 9% and 11% for boscalid and pyraclostrobin at 250 μg/kg. Within-laboratory reproducibility ranged from 4% to 12% at the three concentration levels. The analytical greenness of the method was evaluated by AGREE (0.56), Analytical EcoScale Assessment (87 points, excellent green analysis) and Complex MoGAPI (80 points). The developed and validated method was used for determination of boscalid and pyraclostrobin residues in local strawberries samples. Full article

Agricultural carbon emissions represent a major source of greenhouse gases and play a critical role in achieving global climate mitigation and sustainable agricultural development targets. In China, the rapid transformation of agricultural production systems has led to substantial spatial heterogeneity in emission patterns and driving mechanisms of agricultural carbon emissions, while the underlying processes at the county scale remain insufficiently understood. This study investigated the spatiotemporal evolution and potential influencing factors of agricultural carbon emissions at the county level from 2000 to 2022 in Guangdong Province, China. First, agricultural carbon emissions were estimated based on a multi-source accounting framework covering land management, crop cultivation, animal production, and straw burning based on internationally recognized emission accounting methods and IPCC global warming potentials. Then, spatial clustering characteristics were analyzed using local spatial autocorrelation (LISA) to identify heterogeneous emission patterns. Finally, an interpretable machine learning framework combining Random Forest (RF) and SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) was employed to quantify the nonlinear effects and relative contributions of multiple socioeconomic and agricultural drivers. The results showed that agricultural carbon emissions in Guangdong Province exhibited a fluctuating but overall decreasing trend, declining from 50.89 Mt CO₂-eq in 2000 to 39.24 Mt CO₂-eq in 2022, with an overall reduction of 22.9%. High-emission clusters were primarily concentrated in western and northern Guangdong, while low-emission areas were mainly located in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). The RF models demonstrated satisfactory predictive performance, with spatial cross-validated R² values ranging from 0.75 to 0.91 across different years. SHAP analysis suggested that ploughing area, fertilizer and pesticide usage, agricultural machinery power, and primary industry GDP were the dominant factors associated with agricultural carbon emissions, whereas urbanization consistently showed a negative association. Furthermore, these drivers exhibited pronounced nonlinear responses and distinct regional heterogeneity, particularly between the PRD and the western and northern parts of Guangdong Province. These findings suggested that agricultural carbon emissions are jointly influenced by agricultural production intensity, mechanization, and socioeconomic transition and can provide a scientific basis for developing region-specific low-carbon agricultural policies and promoting the sustainable transformation of agricultural systems. Full article

Tidal-flats buffer coasts support biodiversity and are changing rapidly, yet reported global declines contrast with local expansions, leaving managers uncertain about the direction and drivers of change. Here we investigate this tension by systematically reviewing how monitoring by remote sensing has been used to observe, extract, validate, and interpret tidal-flat dynamics. We considered the literature from January 2000 to March 2025 and screened 951 records related to 339 research articles, classifying 63% (215/339) predominantly focused on tidal-flat extraction and area change, while 37% (124/339) emphasized the analysis of driving factors. Publications surged after 2019, and three tidal-flat extraction families dominate practice: waterline methods (most widely applied), image classification, and composite/optical–Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) fusion. Across studies, the prevailing trend is net decline in tidal-flat extent, attributed to reduced riverine sediment supply, sea level rise, and reclamation; however, robust local counter-examples exist (e.g., ~18% expansion in Germany’s Wadden Sea, 1998–2016), underscoring strong spatial heterogeneity. Although ~31% of global tidal-flats fall within protected areas, effectiveness is uneven under sustained human pressure. We synthesize common failure modes (tide/scale mismatch, validation gaps) and outline standards for multimodal data fusion and benchmarking. This review synthesizes current knowledge on tidal-flat remote sensing methods, identifies key methodological challenges, and outlines priorities for future research to support reliable monitoring. Full article

Trace elements bound to PM_2.5 constitute crucial factors increasing human health risks. To optimize health-oriented air quality management strategies for industrial cities, this study monitored major trace elements in PM_2.5 in Wuhan, China, from June 2023 to May 2024. During the study period, the mean concentration of trace elements was 3290 ± 2270 ng/m³, comprising 93.9% crustal elements and 6.1% heavy metals. The positive matrix factorization model identified fugitive dust as the primary source of trace elements, with a mean contribution of 35.6%, followed by traffic emissions (21.8%), industrial emissions (19.1%), biomass and waste incineration (12.3%), and coal combustion (11.1%). Health risk assessment revealed that the cumulative non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks of trace elements via inhalation exposure exceeded acceptable levels for both local children and adults, with Mn, As, and Cr as key risk factors. Although coal combustion contributed less to trace element concentrations than other sources, it was the largest contributor to non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risks, followed by fugitive dust and traffic emissions. These results suggest that trace element pollution control in Wuhan should prioritize reducing coal combustion emissions, while emphasizing the critical importance of sustained traffic regulation and fugitive dust suppression to improve air quality and protect public health. Full article

Verticillium dahliae is a devastating soil-borne fungal pathogen that causes severe yield losses in melon (Cucumis melo L.) and other crops. Identifying novel resistance genes is crucial for sustainable disease management. In this study, we characterized the function of CmVQ23, a candidate gene previously identified through QTL mapping, in mediating defense against V. dahliae using heterologous expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Subcellular localization assays revealed that the CmVQ23-eGFP fusion protein predominantly localized to the nucleus, consistent with its predicted role as a co-factor of transcription factor. Upon V. dahliae inoculation, CmVQ23-overexpressing Arabidopsis lines exhibited significantly reduced disease indices and restricted fungal proliferation compared with wild-type and mutant plants, although these lines displayed altered vegetative growth, including delayed bolting and reduced plant height. Mechanistically, CmVQ23 overexpression promoted reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and hypersensitive response (HR)-mediated cell death at infection sites, as evidenced by intensified DAB and trypan blue staining. Furthermore, transgenic lines maintained higher photosynthetic efficiency, enhanced antioxidant enzyme activities, and increased lignin deposition via upregulation of phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL) and polyphenol oxidase (PPO). Notably, CmVQ23 overexpression markedly upregulated both salicylic acid (SA)- and jasmonic acid/ethylene (JA/ET)-responsive marker genes, including AtPR1, AtPR2, AtPR5, AtPAD4, AtPDF1.2, and AtVSP2 upon infection. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that CmVQ23 functions as a positive regulator of resistance to Verticillium dahliae by orchestrating ROS/HR-mediated cell death, antioxidant defense, phenylpropanoid pathway activation, and phytohormone signaling crosstalk, offering a promising genetic resource for improving Verticillium wilt resistance in crops. Full article