Search Results (31,772)

Ammonia (NH₃) emissions from temporary manure storage tanks represent a significant environmental concern in livestock production systems. While combining solid covers with negative pressure ventilation is a promising strategy to mitigate these emissions, there is currently a lack of systematic research on its design optimization and performance. This study employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to evaluate the effectiveness of a solid-covered manure storage tank combined with negative pressure ventilation for controlling NH₃ emissions. A validated CFD model was developed to simulate airflow and ammonia transport under open-field and covered conditions. The influences of tank headspace depth, slot type (top and side), and slot location on outlet ammonia concentration were investigated. Results show that headspace depth is one of the important parameters affecting ammonia transport, with deeper headspaces consistently reducing outlet NH₃ concentrations. Compared with no-slot scenarios, top slots could increase ammonia emissions by inducing impinging-jet effects, whereas side slots exhibited depth-dependent impacts, reducing emissions at 1.0 and 1.6 m depths but increasing them at 0.4 m depth. All the differences in ammonia emission across the simulations can be attributed to the difference in the near-wall velocity. The findings provide useful guidance for the design and optimization of ammonia mitigation strategies in manure storage systems. Full article

Background and Aim: Sarcopenia is increasingly recognized as a clinically significant complication of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), influencing both medical management and surgical outcomes. Accurate and accessible diagnostic tools are essential for assessing muscle mass and function in this population. The iliopsoas (IP) muscle has traditionally been used as a marker of sarcopenia, but its deep anatomical location requires skilled operators. Conversely, the diaphragm (DM), being more superficial, may serve as a more feasible surrogate. This study aimed to assess the correlation between IP- and DM-derived ultrasound indices in patients with IBD and to explore their association with sarcopenia risk. Methods: This prospective single-center study enrolled 353 IBD patients (Crohn’s disease [CD] and ulcerative colitis [UC]). Overall, 57 patients had a SARC-F score ≥ 4 and underwent intestinal ultrasound (US). The transverse diameter of the right IP muscle was measured in triplicate, and the psoas-to-height ratio (PMTH, mm/m) was calculated. Diaphragm thickness was assessed during inspiration and expiration, and the diaphragm-to-height ratio was derived. Pearson correlation, Bland–Altman analysis and multivariable regression (adjusted for age and sex) were performed to test associations. Results: The mean IP diameter was 28.40 mm (28.82 mm in males, 27.02 mm in females), with a mean PMTH of 16.62 mm/m. Diaphragm thickness was 20.4 ± 5.0 mm at inspiration and 10.7 ± 3.5 mm at expiration, yielding a mean difference of 9.7 ± 3.4 mm. The diaphragm-to-height ratio was 0.59 ± 0.21 mm/m. Pearson correlation revealed a moderate positive association between PMTH and the diaphragm index (r = 0.3568, p < 0.05). Bland–Altman analysis disclosed a symmetrical distribution. Multivariable regression confirmed that the diaphragm index increased linearly with PMTH (β = 0.018, 95% CI 0.005–0.030; p = 0.008). Neither age nor sex significantly affected the results. Conclusions: Muscle ultrasound is a reliable and reproducible method for evaluating sarcopenia in IBD. The diaphragm, due to its superficial anatomical location and ease of measurement, shows a significant correlation with psoas muscle parameters and may serve as a practical surrogate marker in clinical practice. Larger multicenter studies are warranted to validate these findings. Full article

Background/Objectives: Consumption of a Mediterranean diet (MD) has been associated with reduced incidence of non-communicable diseases and reduced overall mortality, with epigenomic effects representing plausible mediators. The aim of this pilot study was to explore potential epigenetic associations between DNA methylation markers in blood and adherence to an MD in pregnancy. Methods: Fifty-two pregnant women with high or low adherence to an MD throughout pregnancy, who participated in the BioMood ORIGINS study, were selected using an extremes-of-exposure design. DNA methylation (DNAm) profiles from whole blood were generated using the TWIST human methylome panel. We conducted both genome-wide and candidate gene-based differential methylation analyses to identify epigenetic variations between the study groups. Furthermore, we explored potential associations between blood methylation patterns and circulating inflammatory markers (GlycA, GlycB and SPC) previously observed to exhibit differential abundance in the same cohort of women. Results: There were no genome-wide significant differences in methylated dinucleotides between MD groups (p-value < 5 × 10⁻⁸); however, a region-based analysis identified 2210 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) (FDR < 0.05, absolute maximum logFC > 1) annotated to 1537 genes, significantly enriched in metabolic, inflammatory and neuronal signaling pathways. Leveraging publicly available data, we replicated nine novel DMR associations. Changes in circulating phospholipid inflammatory markers were significantly associated with a small methylation difference in Lipin-1 (LPIN1), albeit with a small effect size (p-value < 5 × 10⁻⁸). A look-up analysis of previously reported MD-associated genes in this cohort detected small but statistically significantly different methylation of CpGs located within collagen type XVIII alpha 1 (COL18A1) and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma, coactivator 1 beta (PPARGC1B) gene regions. Conclusions: We provide preliminary evidence for modest methylation changes in specific genes associated with adherence to an MD. Full article

Regenerative agriculture is oriented around restoring soil health through natural processes. In this context, soil biota plays a central role, and bioinoculation represents a potentially effective approach for targeted modification of microbial communities. Among beneficial microorganisms, Trichoderma atroviride is prominent for its biocontrol agent (BCA) activity against plant-parasitic nematodes (PPNs), whereas its effects on free-living nematodes (FLNs) under in vivo conditions remain insufficiently explored. The aim of this study was to assess the response of nematode communities to bioinoculation with T. atroviride as an indicator of soil functional status. A three-year field study was conducted in organic olive orchards at Vodnjan and Nadin on four autochthonous olive cultivars, applying two inoculum doses of T. atroviride: 1 × 10⁶ spores mL⁻¹ (LD) and 1 × 10⁸ spores mL⁻¹ (HD). Bioinoculation increased the diversity of the soil nematode communities at both locations. However, the responses differed between the two inoculum doses. Both doses were associated with an increased abundance of FLNs and a reduced abundance of herbivorous nematodes relative to the control, with LD showing a more consistent and ecologically favourable effect. In combination with biotic and abiotic factors, the LD dose was associated with greater trophic diversity and a more structured soil food web, whereas increasing the inoculum concentration (HD) did not result in additional functional improvement. Full article

Dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuators (PAs) are devices used to control airflow. DBD actuators generate an electric field that accelerates ionized air particles, inducing localized flow modifications. Among other applications, they are particularly effective for enhancing cooling, for aerodynamic drag reduction, and for lift enhancement, therefore capable of improving stall characteristics. In addition, they offer several distinct advantages, such as rapid response time, low power consumption, and no moving parts. The present review paper aims to summarize the main governing equations associated with the most common phenomenological PA Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models, Shyy and Suzen-Huang, as well as highlight the major applications to flat plates, wind turbine airfoils and entire wind turbines. The application of DBD plasma actuators on individual wind turbine blades, as well as dynamic horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines, is reviewed, drawing from key numerical and experimental investigations. The simulated performance of various configurations of single and multiple PAs on representative airfoils at different chordwise locations is discussed. The overall findings indicate that the chordwise location of the actuators on airfoils and their optimum spanwise placement on small and large wind turbine blades, along with the geometry and excitation parameters of the actuators, play a crucial role in their performance, affecting the boundary layer and the flow pattern. The reader shall obtain an overall idea of the most recent aerodynamic applications of PAs as well as their expected efficiency. Full article

Background/Objectives: The earlier, more accurate, and more consistent prediction of the brain tumor recognition process requires automated systems to minimize diagnostic delays and human error. The automated system provides a platform for handling large medical images, speeding up clinical decision-making. However, the existing system is facing difficulties due to the high variability in tumor location, size, and shape, which leads to segmentation complexity. In addition, glioma-related tumors infiltrate the brain tissues, making it challenging to identify the exact tumor region. Method: The above-identified research difficulties are overcome by applying the Swin-UNet with cuttlefish-optimized attention-based Graph Neural Networks (SCAG-Net), thereby improving overall brain tumor recognition accuracy. This integrated approach is utilized to address infiltrative gliomas, tumor variability, and feature redundancy issues by improving diagnostic efficiency. Initially, the collected MRI images are processed using the Swin-UNet approach to identify the region, minimizing prediction error robustly. The region’s features are explored utilizing the cuttlefish algorithm, which minimizes redundant features and speeds up classification by improving accuracy. The selected features are further processed using the attention graph network, which handles structural and heterogeneous information across multiple layers, improving classification accuracy compared to existing methods. Results: The efficiency of the system, implemented with the help of public datasets such as BRATS 2018, BRATS 2019, BRATS 2020, and Figshare is ensured by the proposed SCAG-Net approach, which achieves maximum recognition accuracy. The proposed system achieved a Dice coefficient of 0.989, an Intersection over Union of 0.969, and a classification accuracy of 0.992. This performance surpassed the most recent benchmark models by margins of 1.0% to 1.8% and with statistically significant differences (p < 0.05). These findings present a statistically validated, computationally efficient, clinically deployable framework. Conclusions: The effective analysis of MRI complex structures is used in medical applications and clinical analysis. The proposed SCAG-Net framework significantly improves brain tumor recognition by addressing tumor heterogeneity and infiltrative gliomas using MRI images. The proposed approach provides a robust, efficient, and clinically deployable solution for brain tumor recognition from MRI images, supporting accurate and rapid diagnosis while maintaining expert-level performance. Full article

Physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) often struggle to balance multiple loss terms in thermally coupled multiphysics problems. We propose Cooperative Soft-Hard PINNs (s-hPINN/s-HB-PINN), which apply soft constraints to fields with Neumann conditions while enforcing hard constraints on others to balance exact boundary enforcement with training stability. Validated on thermoelasticity and thermal convection, our method reduces training time by approximately 56%. In thermal convection experiments, incorporating partial data further reduces velocity errors by up to 78% compared to standard PINNs. We subsequently assessed the framework’s robustness against varying relative Gaussian white noise levels and different data sampling locations. The result demonstrate that s-HB-PINN maintains high-fidelity predictions even under noise interference, consistently outperforming baseline methods. This confirms that the proposed collaborative strategy offers a superior trade-off between accuracy, efficiency, and robustness in complex multiphysics environments. Full article

A dam breach is an uncommon but profoundly destructive event that transpires when a dam collapses, releasing accumulated water downstream and leading to extensive damage. This study focuses on the Jure landslide dam, located in the Sindhupalchowk district, Nepal. The region is characterized by complex river channels and steep terrains, which are significantly influenced by flood dynamics. This study aims to establish a compressive numerical simulation of a two-dimensional dam breach unsteady flow hydraulic model to simulate the dam breach process and downstream flood propagation. The study analyzes the dynamics of the Jure landslide dam outburst flood, emphasizing the flood characteristics, inundation, and velocity hazards in the mitigation of flood impacts. The results reveal that the peak discharge of the Jure landside dam was 5336.7 m³/s, while it decreased to 1181.4 m³/s when traveling 35 km. The flood depth obtained by 2D (HEC-RAS) downstream of the dam rages between 0.0334 and 55.9 m, while the corresponding estimated peak flow velocity of simulated breaches was 21.46 m/s, demonstrating extreme hydraulic force conditions, capable of catastrophe. The proposed hydraulic simulations reveal significant variations in overflow dynamics across different terrain types, with narrower sections exhibiting faster flood progression and greater water depths. The findings underscore the necessity of accounting for terrain heterogeneity in future flood risk assessments. This work offers valuable insights into the emergency management of landslide dams in similar regions. Full article

Origin–Destination matrices (ODms) are a fundamental input for public transport planning and optimization, as they characterize travel demand across a network. Traditionally estimated from user surveys, ODms are now increasingly inferred from large-scale automatically collected data, such as Automated Fare Collection (AFC), Automated Passenger Counting (APC), and Automated Vehicle Location data (AVL). This review focuses on the reconstruction of static ODms in public transport systems, while accounting for studies that exploit dynamic or short-term observations when these are used to infer static or quasi-static demand patterns. We provide a transversal synthesis of OD estimation approaches by jointly analyzing data sources, modeling assumptions, uncertainty handling, and validation strategies. A structured comparative table summarizes representative case studies across different data contexts, objectives, and methodological families. Beyond a descriptive overview, this review identifies key research gaps, including the lack of uncertainty-aware benchmarking frameworks, the limited propagation of uncertainty across modeling stages, and the strong dependence of reported performance on data quality and validation references. These findings highlight that OD estimation performance is context-dependent and that methodological choices should be aligned with data availability, modeling objectives, and acceptable assumptions rather than with reported accuracy alone. Full article

Schisandra is a plant whose fruit possesses high biological potential and beneficial health effects. The pharmacological properties of Schisandra are attributed to its bioactive components, primarily polyphenols and polysaccharides. This study aimed to obtain Schisandra fruit extracts (SCE) from different locations in China and Poland, as well as Schisandra polysaccharides (SPO), and to compare their chemical composition and selected biological activities. The prebiotic and antibacterial effects of SCE and SPO on lactic acid bacteria (LAB), human and foodborne pathogens, and gut microbiota were investigated. The chemical composition of the three Chinese SCE was similar, whereas SCE from Poland (SCE-PL) differed. The main bioactive compounds differentiating the Chinese SCE were quercetin, isorhamnetin, and nicotiflorin, while gamma-tocopherol and mevalonic acid distinguished SCE-PL, as indicated through LC-QTOF-MS/MS metabolomic profiling. All SCE and SPO promoted the growth of LAB strains, confirming their prebiotic potential and ability to serve as effective carbon sources for LAB. Additionally, all SCE inhibited the growth of certain pathogens, with S. chinensis extract from China showing the strongest activity, whereas SPO did not exhibit such activity. Variations in chemical composition among SCE and SPO contribute to differences in their prebiotic and antimicrobial activity, highlighting the importance of species and geographical origin in determining their functional properties. Full article

Background: Paeonia lactiflora Pall. produces substantial quantities of nectar during the bud stage. In the production of cut flowers, this nectar attracts contaminants that compromise the quality of the flowers. The current practice of rinsing flowers with clean water escalates production costs. Consequently, reducing nectar secretion during the bud stage has emerged as a significant technical challenge for the industry. Nonetheless, insufficient fundamental knowledge concerning the structure of P. lactiflora nectaries and the physiology of nectar secretion impedes the development of pertinent regulatory technologies. Methods: This study established a “nectar secretion index” to evaluate nectar production in various P. lactiflora cultivars. Nectar sugar concentration and composition were measured using a refractometer and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). Observations of changes in nectary epidermal morphology and anatomical structure during nectar secretion were conducted using scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy. Key Results: The quantity of nectar secreted by various P. lactiflora cultivars can differ. The indices were not significantly correlated with flowering period, flower color, or flower type. At the peak of nectar secretion, the sugar concentration of nectar secretion by different cultivars’ flower buds varied. Sucrose is the primary sugar component in this nectar. Nectar is secreted along the basal margins of the bracts and sepals on the abaxial surface of all cultivars. Specialized raised stomata are located on the upper epidermis, through which nectar is secreted. In contrast, the epidermal stomata located outside nectar-secreting areas exhibit a normal morphology. Specialized stomata do not secrete nectar concurrently. The stomatal aperture and the percentage of nectar-secreting stomata at the secretion sites are significantly higher in high-nectar-producing cultivars than in low-nectar-producing cultivars. Anatomical observations of bract nectaries indicate that, irrespective of nectar production levels, specialized stomata are consistently located adjacent to vascular bundles. During the initial stage of nectar secretion, no starch was detected in the bract nectaries. In contrast, the stomata in non-secretory epidermal cells of bracts maintain a normal morphology, and calcium oxalate crystals were observed within the subepidermal tissues. Throughout the nectar secretion process, the content of photosynthetic pigments and the Fv/Fm ratio in the bracts and sepals of various cultivars correlated with nectar secretion volume. Conclusions: This study, informed by observations of numerous P. lactiflora cultivars, elucidates the structural characteristics of its nectaries and the nectar secretion properties of various cultivars during the bud stage. It confirms that these nectaries are classified as extrafloral nectaries, specifically structural nectaries consisting of specialized raised stomata and closely associated vascular bundles beneath them. No significant differences in nectary structure or location were noted among cultivars with differing nectar yields. However, both the aperture of nectary stomata and the percentage of nectar-secreting stomata exhibited a significant positive correlation with secretion levels. The intrinsic photosynthetic potential at the nectary sites varies significantly among cultivars. The nectar is not derived from stored cellular starch but likely originates simultaneously from both photosynthesis and phloem transport. These findings provide a theoretical foundation for the development of subsequent regulatory technologies. Full article

In this paper, the performance of a conventional distance protection relay employing a single ground compensation factor (k₀) per protection zone is investigated for non-uniform transmission lines consisting of mixed overhead line and underground cable sections. In such composite lines, the use of a single k₀ value may lead to inaccurate apparent impedance calculation during phase-to-ground faults due to significant differences in zero- and positive-sequence parameters among line sections. To address this limitation, a novel ground distance protection algorithm is proposed, which applies separate ground compensation factors corresponding to individual line sections within the same distance protection zone. The proposed algorithm dynamically identifies the faulted line section based on the measured reactance and selects the appropriate compensation factor accordingly. A three-section composite transmission line model is developed in the ATP–EMTP environment, including overhead and cable segments with different electrical characteristics. Phase-to-ground faults are simulated at various locations along each line section, and the apparent impedances calculated using the proposed algorithm are quantitatively compared with those obtained from the classical ground distance protection algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate that, under resistive fault conditions (Rarc = 1 Ω), the proposed method reduces impedance magnitude estimation errors from over 23% to below 7%, while maintaining comparable or improved angle estimation accuracy across the protected zone. Although the proposed algorithm introduces an additional computational step due to the selection of appropriate ground compensation factors for individual line sections, this aspect has not been evaluated under real-time conditions and is left for future implementation-oriented studies. Overall, the proposed approach offers a practical and effective solution for improving ground distance protection performance in non-uniform transmission lines. Full article

Urban vitality is a critical metric for measuring the quality of sustainable development and overall competitiveness, serving as the core kinetic energy for urban survival and growth. As a key link for land–sea resource coordination and internal–external economic circulation, the urban vitality of China’s coastal regions is of great significance for promoting regional coordinated development. Focusing on 130 cities in China’s coastal regions, this study constructs an evaluation system encompassing five dimensions: economy, society, culture, environment, and population. Utilizing the AHP–entropy combined weighting method, the urban vitality index (UVI) for 2023 is calculated based on a scientific measurement of each dimension’s vitality level. Additionally, spatial autocorrelation and the multiscale geographically weighted regression (MGWR) model are employed to examine the spatial evolution patterns and multidimensional driving mechanisms in depth. The results indicate the following: (1) Coastal regions exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity in vitality, characterized by a distinct south–north gradient (high in the south and low in the north). Geographically, the distribution of overall vitality is highly uneven: high-value clusters are concentrated in southern coastal urban agglomerations—notably the Pearl River Delta and the Yangtze River Delta—whereas northern coastal areas, with the exception of the Shandong Peninsula, generally demonstrate relatively low vitality levels. Administrative rank has a significant effect on vitality agglomeration; the average vitality of provincial capitals and above is approximately four times that of other cities. (2) Environmental vitality performs best but shows significant spatial polarization. High-value areas for economic and population vitality are concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta, Pearl River Delta, and Shandong Peninsula urban agglomerations, while social and cultural vitality only stand out in megacities such as Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Shanghai. (3) Urban vitality exhibits strong spatial correlation and path dependence. Coastal urban vitality shows a significant positive spatial autocorrelation, with H-H (high–high) clusters primarily concentrated in the Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta, indicating a high degree of spatial aggregation and regional synergy in urban vitality. Conversely, L-L (low–low) “depressed cities” are distributed in contiguous blocks in the north and peripheral areas, indicating that regional collaborative driving forces need to be further strengthened. (4) Multifactor driving mechanisms show obvious spatial heterogeneity and scale effects. The MGWR model results reveal that the medical insurance coverage rate, human capital level, and annual average PM 2.5 concentration are the dominant factors driving coastal urban vitality. Their influence intensity shows significant north–south differences across geographical locations, and the contribution of nonspatial factors is overall higher than that of traditional built environment factors. These findings provide a scientific reference for formulating precise and differentiated regional vitality enhancement strategies, optimizing coastal resource allocation, and promoting high-quality land–sea coordinated development. Full article

The determination of groundwater background levels is a prerequisite for assessing and analyzing groundwater characteristics. Shanghai is among the most economically developed regions in China and is located in the estuary of the Yangtze River, where frequent hydrogeochemical processes occur. Moreover, the frequency of anthropogenic activities in Shanghai is very high. Consequently, assessing groundwater background levels in Shanghai is inherently limited if only statistical methods are adopted or anthropogenic impacts are ignored. In this study, hydrochemical and statistical methods were coupled to identify groundwater anomalies and background levels. The results revealed distinct differences in hydrochemical characteristics between the two selected independent units (Chongming and Qingpu units), highlighting the necessity of reasonably delineating hydrogeological units for obtaining background values. Furthermore, for these two independent units, different optimal methods for identifying and eliminating anthropogenic groundwater anomalies were determined. The use of coupled methods was demonstrated to be substantially superior to the use of purely statistical approaches. Hydro-HCA was identified as the optimal identification method for the Chongming unit, whereas Hydro-Grubbs was determined as the most suitable method for the Qingpu unit. This could be attributed mainly to the coupled methods accounting for not only the dispersion of the data itself but also the intrinsic relationships and evolutionary processes of hydrochemical components. These findings could provide reliable information for subsequent groundwater background surveys and studies on groundwater pollution characteristics in Shanghai and to guide future endeavors aimed at protecting groundwater resources. Full article

Botanic gardens host diverse living plant collections and are increasingly recognized as sentinel sites for documenting insect biodiversity and detecting biological invasions. Aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) are well suited to such monitoring due to their close host associations, rapid population growth, and importance as horticultural pests and virus vectors. Here, we document the aphid fauna recorded in five European botanic gardens—Zabrze (Poland), Meise (Belgium), and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Edinburgh, Benmore, and Logan (UK)—based on surveys conducted in 2022 and 2023. Sampling approaches included short-duration expert bioblitz-style surveys and extended seasonal monitoring. In total, more than one hundred aphid species were recorded across all sites. Observed species lists differed among gardens and survey periods, reflecting variation in sampling timing, intensity, and host plant composition. Several alien aphid species to Europe of Oriental and Nearctic origin were detected, including multiple new national records. Alien taxa were found both in outdoor living collections and in controlled environments such as glasshouses, nurseries, restricted areas, and plant shops, which may function as entry points as well as locations for early intervention. These findings illustrate the value of botanic gardens for documenting aphid diversity and supporting early detection of non-native species relevant to plant health and biosecurity. Full article