Search Results (34,460)

Microbial fuel cells (MFCs) utilizing livestock wastewater represent a critical path toward sustainable energy and net-zero emissions. To maximize this potential, this study investigates a novel circuit configuration, integrating twin MFCs with dual supercapacitors in a closed-loop system, to enhance charge storage and electricity generation. By utilizing molasses-seawater anolytes, the study establishes a performance benchmark for optimizing energy recovery in future livestock wastewater treatment applications. The self-adjusting potential difference between interconnected MFCs is verified, and supercapacitors significantly improve energy harvesting by reducing load impedance and balancing capacitor plate charges. Voltage gain across supercapacitors exceeds that of single MFC charging, demonstrating the benefits of series integration. Experimental results reveal that catholyte properties—electrical conductivity, salinity, pH, and dissolved oxygen—strongly influence MFC performance. Optimal conditions for a neutralized anolyte (pH 7.12) include dissolved oxygen levels of 5.37–5.68 mg/L and conductivity of 24.3 mS/cm. Under these conditions, supercapacitors charged with sterile diluted seawater catholyte store up to 40% more energy than individual MFCs, attributed to increased output current. While the charge balance mechanism of supercapacitors contributes to storage efficiency, its impact is less pronounced than that of conductivity and oxygen solubility. The interplay between electrochemical activation and charge balancing enhances overall electricity harvesting. These findings provide valuable insights into optimizing MFC-supercapacitor systems for renewable energy applications, particularly in livestock wastewater treatment. Full article

By analyzing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforcement reports from 2004 to 2025, we can determine the incidence of microbial contamination in non-sterile and sterile drugs in the United States of America and, at the same time, compare the trends and patterns over a period of 21 years to determine the distribution and frequency of microbial contaminants. The most common microorganisms detected from 2019 to 2025 were the mold Aspergillus penicilloides, with 17 citations for sterile products, followed by 16 citations for non-sterile products of Burkholderia cepacia complex (BCC) bacteria. Analysis from the last 21 years revealed the dominant microbial contaminants belong to the BCC, reaching a maximum level between 2012 and 2019. Some of the previous microbial contaminants, such as Salmonella and Clostridium, decline in the 2019–2025 period, with no notifications issued. S. aureus and Pseudomonas contamination persisted through the years but at very low levels. Gram-negative bacteria contaminated non-sterile drugs more frequently than Gram-positive. A worrisome trend continued with unacceptable levels of enforcement reports not providing any information on the identity of the microbial contaminant. New species of Bacillus and Acetobacter nitrogenifigens were responsible for a significant increase in non-sterile drug recalls. The main driver for sterile product recalls over a 21-year period is the lack of assurance of sterility (LAS) where major failures in process design, control, and operational execution were not conducive to the control of microbial proliferation and destruction. Enforcement data analysis identified the problematic trends and patterns regarding microbial contamination of drugs, providing important information to optimize process control and provide a framework for optimizing risk mitigation. Although the 21-year landscape demonstrated that some microbial contaminants have been successfully mitigated, others remain resilient. The emergence of new contaminants highlights the evolving nature of microbial risk. The consistent problem with LAS is not only a major regulatory violation but also a potential catalyst for the next major healthcare-associated outbreak. Full article

This study systematically investigated the influence of approach kinematics on the subsequent kinetics and power production strategies during the approach to running jumps with a single leg (ARJSL). Twenty-five physically active male university students performed ARJSL trials under two prescribed approach speeds (fast and slow) and three approach distances (3, 6, and 9 m) in a 2 × 3 within-subjects design. Three-dimensional motion capture synchronized with force platform data was used to quantify jump height (JH), vertical touchdown velocity (TDv), reactive strength index (RSI), peak joint power (hip, knee, and ankle), and joint stiffness. Significant approach speed × distance interactions were observed for JH (p = 0.006), TDv (p < 0.001), RSI (p = 0.014), ankle stiffness (p = 0.006), and peak power generation at all lower-limb joints (all p < 0.034). The results demonstrate that changes in approach strategy systematically alter the distribution of mechanical power among the hip, knee, and ankle joints, thereby influencing the effectiveness of horizontal-to-vertical momentum conversion during take-off. Notably, RSI and ankle stiffness were particularly sensitive to combined manipulations of speed and distance, highlighting their value as neuromechanical indicators of stretch–shortening cycle intensity and joint loading demands. In conclusion, ARJSL performance depends on finely tuned, speed- and distance-specific biomechanical adaptations within the lower extremity. These findings provide a constrained, joint-level mechanical characterization of how approach speed and distance interact to influence power redistribution and stiffness behavior during ARJSL, without implying optimal or performance-maximizing strategies. Full article

A two-factor experiment was conducted using the cultivar ‘Xin you No. 2’ (Citrullus lanatus) to identify an efficient and green production model for drip-irrigated watermelon under plastic mulch in Southern Xinjiang. A basal organic fertilizer was applied at 2250 kg·ha⁻¹. The experimental design comprised three irrigation levels, maintaining soil moisture at 60–70% (W1), 70–80% (W2), and 80–90% (W3) of field capacity, and three nitrogen application rates: 180 (N1), 240 (N2), and 300 (N3) kg·ha⁻¹. This study systematically investigated the effects of water–nitrogen coupling on watermelon yield, quality, water use efficiency, and nitrogen partial factor productivity. The W2N2 treatment achieved the highest yield of 64,617.59 kg·ha⁻¹. Vine length, stem diameter, and dry matter accumulation increased with increasing nitrogen application under the W1 and W2 irrigation levels, but exhibited an initial increase followed by a decrease under the W3 condition. Water restriction combined with increased nitrogen application significantly enhanced the central sugar content, with the W1N3 treatment increasing it by 15.69% compared to CK. Conversely, the W1N1 treatment was most conducive to vitamin C accumulation, showing a 49.88% increase over CK. The total water consumption across the different treatments ranged from 362.12 to 493.92 mm. Both water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency reached their maximum values under the W1N3 treatment, at 21.94 kg·m⁻³ and 35.05 kg·m⁻³, respectively. In contrast, the highest partial factor productivity of nitrogen (NPFP) was observed under W3N1, reaching 239.33 kg·kg⁻¹. A comprehensive multi-index evaluation using the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to an Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) method indicated that the W1N3 treatment achieved the highest relative closeness (0.669), identifying it as the optimal water–nitrogen combination. Full article

Optimizing the “production–living–ecological” space (PLES) is critical for achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in ecologically sensitive mountainous border regions. This study investigates the spatial patterns and dynamic evolution of PLES in Lincang City (2010–2020) to reveal the trade-offs between development and conservation. Methodologically, we proposed a coupling-coordination-based grid-level PLES identification framework. This framework integrates the coupling coordination degree model (CCDM) directly into the functional classification process at a 600 m grid scale—a resolution selected to balance the capture of spatial heterogeneity with the maintenance of functional integrity in complex terrains. Spatiotemporal dynamics were further quantified using transition matrices and a dimension-based landscape metric system. The results reveal that (a) ecological space and production–living–ecological space represent the predominant categories in the study area. During the study period, ecological space continued to decrease, while production–living space increased steadily, and other PLES categories showed only marginal variations. (b) Mutual transitions among PLES types primarily occurred among ecological space, production–ecological space, and production–living–ecological space. These transitions intensified markedly between 2015 and 2020 compared to the 2010–2015 period. (c) From 2010 to 2020, the landscape in Lincang evolved towards lower ecological risk yet higher fragmentation. High fragmentation values, often associated with grassland, cropland, and forested areas, were evenly distributed across northeastern and northwestern regions. Likewise, high landscape dominance and isolation appeared in these regions as well as in the southeast. Conversely, landscape disturbance remained relatively uniform throughout the city, with lower values detected in forested land. Full article

Background: Nurse-initiated pain protocols (NIPPs) at emergency department (ED) triage remain underused. This study investigated factors associated with patient refusal and nurse use of NIPP, accounting for triage operational context. Methods: This retrospective observational study combined prospectively collected nurse characteristics with retrospective data on NIPP use over 15 months in a tertiary university hospital ED. Outcomes included rates of NIPP refusal and use, documented reasons for refusal, and associations with patient characteristics, nurse characteristics, crowding, and operational pressure. Results: Sixty-three triage nurses managed 16,137 adult patients; 6.2% refused the NIPP. Among consenting patients, NIPP was used in one-third of encounters. Multi-level logistic regression revealed significant variation between nurses in both refusal and use. Refusal was more likely in patients with lower acuity and among nurses trained in Europe or concerned about prescribing responsibility, but less frequent with severe pain or longer triage duration. NIPP use was more frequent with lower acuity, higher pain intensity, longer triage duration, crowding, and among nurses with European training, but decreased in older patients and those arriving by ambulance. Conclusions: NIPP refusal and use at triage were both low, with marked variability between nurses. Patient characteristics and triage operational factors were most strongly associated with outcomes, while nurse-related factors contributed less. These findings support prospective implementation studies to clarify drivers of practice variation and optimize analgesia delivery at triage. Full article

Aramid-based polymeric fabrics are increasingly employed in lightweight protective and structural applications where high strength, flexibility, and impact resistance are required. Their response under high-velocity impact is governed by complex interactions among fiber properties, inter-yarn friction, and the mechanical behavior of the impacting body. In this work, three-dimensional finite element simulations were conducted in ANSYS Explicit Dynamics to investigate the coupled effects of the interfacial friction coefficient (μ= coefficient of friction = 0.0–0.5) and impactor material on the dynamic response of 24-layer plain-weave aramid panels. The numerical results reveal that low friction facilitates yarn mobility and localized penetration, whereas moderate friction enhances stress-wave dispersion and enables a more uniform activation of multiple fabric layers. At higher friction levels, penetration is further reduced, but localized stress concentrations may emerge due to constrained yarn movement. The constitutive properties of the impactor strongly influenced deformation modes and the efficiency of kinetic energy transfer to the composite structure. The simulated results are consistent with experimental data reported in the literature, confirming the predictive capability of the model. The study provides quantitative insight into the role of frictional interactions and impactor characteristics in optimizing the energy absorption and structural integrity of aramid-based polymeric fabrics subjected to high-velocity loading, contributing to the development of advanced lightweight protective materials. Full article

Background: This study presents the sequencing and analysis of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genomes from nine early medieval horse remains excavated across archaeological sites in Silesia region in present day Poland. Methods: Using aDNA extraction protocols optimized for short fragments, combined with target enrichment and high-throughput sequencing, we reconstructed partial mtDNA sequences for seven of the specimens. Results: The authenticity of the aDNA was confirmed through damage pattern analysis. Phylogenetic reconstruction revealed that the specimens belonged to six distinct mtDNA lineages (B, D, E, G, L, and M), indicating a high level of mitochondrial diversity within medieval Silesian horse population. Conclusions: These findings highlight the extensive mtDNA variability among domestic horses, reflecting the diversity of their ancestral populations rather than modern breed differentiation. This research enhances our understanding of horse population structure in medieval Europe, emphasizing the genetic complexity present during this period. Full article

Background: The World Health Organization and the Australian physical activity guidelines, in line with contemporary research, recommend regular muscle-strengthening activities for optimal muscular fitness in children and adolescents. However, the extent to which muscle-strengthening or muscular fitness receives curricular emphasis is unknown in Australia. Objectives: To examine to what extent the Australian Health and Physical Education Curriculum, Foundation to Year 10 (AHPEC; F–10) addresses and/or promotes muscular fitness. Methods: This study involved a mixed-methods content analysis of the AHPEC F–10 using: (i) conceptual analysis to identify muscular fitness-related terms; and (ii) relational analysis to examine alignment between muscular fitness content and curriculum rationale/aims. A search of national and international physical activity guidelines and school-based muscular fitness intervention literature generated a keyword set to guide abstraction from the AHPEC. Curriculum aim, rationale, level descriptions, achievement standards and content were coded to determine the extent to which muscular fitness was embedded. Intercoder reliability was established via consensus meetings. Muscular fitness content coverage was quantified as the proportion of directly aligned muscular fitness relevant content points per stage and aggregated primary (F–6), secondary (7–10), and F–10 scores. Results: A review of 32 national and one international physical activity guidelines identified 88 muscular fitness activities in total, with some activities appearing in multiple guidelines; 53.1% of national guidelines did not provide explicit muscular fitness examples, and where examples existed, they emphasised accessible modes (e.g., climbing, bodyweight tasks, jumping, and lifting). Additionally, analysis of school-based muscular fitness intervention literature identified 22 distinct muscular fitness activities to guide abstraction. Muscular fitness was absent in the AHPEC rationale and aims, was largely inferred in primary years level description and achievement standards and became more explicit in secondary achievement standards. Direct alignment of content with muscular fitness was non-existent or low across stages of learning (Foundation = 0%, Stage 1 = 0%, Stage 2 = 6.1%, Stage 3 = 9.1%, Stage 4 = 8.6%, Stage 5 = 8.8%). Overall, muscular fitness content coverage averaged 3.8% in primary, 8.7% in secondary, and 5.4% across F–10. Conclusions: The AHPEC treats muscular fitness as a low priority in primary schooling and a minor content area in secondary, yielding developmental messaging that is less aligned with contemporary evidence and physical activity guidelines. Full article

This paper aims to address the problem of the low success rate of seedling picking and throwing, and the high damage rate of pot seedling, caused by the unclear interaction and parameter mismatch between the seedling picking end effector and the pot seedling during the seedling picking and throwing process of automatic transplanters. An EDEM–RecurDyn coupled simulation was conducted, through which the disturbance of substrate particles in the bowl body during the inserting, extracting, and transporting processes by the seedling picking end effector was visualized and analyzed. The force and motion responses of the particles during their interaction with the seedling picking end effector were explored, and the working parameters of the seedling picking end effector were optimized. A seedling picking end effector using two fingers and four needles is taken as the research object, a kinematic mathematical model of the seedling picking end effector is established, and the dimensional parameters of each component of the end effector are determined. Physical characteristic tests are conducted on Shanghai bok choy pot seedlings to obtain relevant parameters. A discrete element model of the pot seedling is established in EDEM 2022 software, and a virtual prototype model of the seedling picking end effector is established in Recurdyn 2024 software. Through EDEM-Recurdyn coupled simulation, the force and movement of the substrate particles in the bowl body during the inserting, extracting, and transporting processes of the seedling picking end effector under different operating parameters were explored, providing a theoretical basis for optimizing the working parameters of the end effector. The inserting and extracting velocity, transporting velocity, and inserting depth of the seedling picking end effector were used as experimental factors, and the success rate of seedling picking and throwing, and the loss rate of substrate, were used as evaluation indicators; single-factor tests and three-factor, three-level Box–Behnken bench tests were conducted. Variance analysis, response surface methodology, and multi-objective optimization were performed using Design-Expert 13 software to obtain the optimal parameter combination: when the inserting and extracting velocity was 228 mm/s, the transporting velocity was 264 mm/s, the inserting depth was 37 mm, the success rate of seedling picking and throwing was 97.48%, and the loss rate of substrate was 2.12%. A verification experiment was conducted on the bench, and the success rate of seedling picking and throwing was 97.35%, and the loss rate of substrate was 2.34%, which was largely consistent with the optimized results, thereby confirming the rationality of the established model and optimized parameters. Field trial showed the success rate of seedling picking and throwing was 97.04%, and the loss rate of substrate was 2.41%. The error between the success rate of seedling picking and throwing and the optimized result was 0.45%, indicating that the seedling picking end effector has strong anti-interference ability, and verifying the feasibility and practicality of the established model and optimized parameters. Full article

Background/Objectives: Postoperative opioid exposure after lumbar fusion remains a key clinical concern. Understanding which perioperative factors are associated with lower postoperative opioid use may help optimize recovery after minimally invasive (MIS) transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). This study aimed to determine if patients undergoing MIS-TLIF under spinal anesthesia (SA) showed lower postoperative opioid use compared to those undergoing MIS-TLIF under general anesthesia (GA). Methods: We retrospectively studied all adult patients (>18 years) undergoing 1- and contiguous 2-level MIS-TLIFs performed by a single surgeon. Patients undergoing the procedure under GA were compared to those undergoing the procedure under SA. Postoperative oral opioid use, up to 3 months post discharge, was collected. A 1:1 propensity score matching (PSM) protocol was implemented. Each outcome variable was initially assessed using univariate regression. Predictor variables with a p-value < 0.2 were included in the multivariate regression model. This was a retrospective, non-randomized study, and residual confounding cannot be excluded despite PSM. Results: The matched groups (n = 50 in each group) did not differ significantly depending on demographics or levels fused. Before regression, mean number of postoperative opioid prescriptions (p = 0.03), mean total operating room (OR) time in minutes (p < 0.01), and median length of stay (LOS) in days (p = 0.03) were significantly different. Multivariate regression showed that the GA group received 216.5 more total morphine milligram equivalents than the SA group (95% CI = 0.7–432.2, p = 0.049). The days of opioid use were higher in the GA group by 3.8 days (95% CI = 0.5 to 7.1, p = 0.025). On multivariate regression, LOS in hours was greater in the GA group by 14.1 h (p = 0.042). Conclusions: SA is an effective anesthetic modality for spinal surgery with the advantages of reduced postoperative opioid use, reduced OR time, and shorter LOS compared to GA. Full article

Objective: to clarify differences in the intermuscular coherence of core muscles during side kicks among male Sanda athletes at varying skill levels, particularly in critical frequency bands; to reveal the association between neuromuscular coordination mechanisms and technical proficiency; and to provide methodological references for quantitative analysis of combat sports techniques. Methods: Thirty-six male Sanda athletes were divided into professional (n = 18) and amateur (n = 18) groups based on athletic ranking and training duration. Surface electromyographic (EMG) signals from 15 core muscles and kinematic data were synchronously recorded using a wireless EMG system and a high-speed camera. Signal processing extracted root mean square amplitude (RMS) and integral EMG (iEMG). Muscle coordination was quantified via time-frequency coherence analysis across alpha (8–15 Hz), beta (15–30 Hz), and gamma (30–50 Hz) bands. Results: The professional group exhibited significantly higher RMS and iEMG values in most core muscles (e.g., rectus femoris RMS: 0.298 ± 0.072 vs. 0.214 ± 0.077 mV, p < 0.001). Regarding intermuscular coherence, the professional group demonstrated significantly superior coherence in the α, β, and γ bands for key muscle pairs, including upper limb–swing leg, support leg–swing leg, and upper limb–support leg. Notable differences were observed in pairs such as external oblique–rectus femoris (alpha band: 0.039 ± 0.012 vs. 0.032 ± 0.011, p < 0.01) and right rectus femoris–biceps femoris (beta band: 0.033 ± 0.010 vs. 0.023 ± 0.007, p < 0.01). Conclusions: The fundamental difference in side kick technique among Sanda athletes lies in neuromuscular control strategies and muscle coordination efficiency. Sensor-based intermuscular coherence analysis provides an objective quantitative indicator for distinguishing technical proficiency, offering a scientific basis for optimizing training and extending the methodological framework for technique assessment in combat sports. Full article

Tomatoes are an important economic crop in China, and crop diseases often lead to a decline in their yield. Deep learning-based visual recognition methods have become an approach for disease identification; however, challenges remain due to complex background interference in the field and the diversity of disease manifestations. To address these issues, this paper proposes the SXA-YOLO (an improvement based on YOLO, where S stands for the SAAPAN architecture, X represents the XIoU loss function, and A denotes the AsDDet module) symmetric perception recognition model. First, a comprehensive symmetry architecture system is established. The backbone network creates a hierarchical feature foundation through C3k2 (Cross-stage Partial Concatenated Bottleneck Convolution with Dual-kernel Design) and SPPF (the Fast Pyramid Pooling module) modules; the neck employs a SAAPAN (Symmetry-Aware Adaptive Path Aggregation Architecture) bidirectional feature pyramid architecture, utilizing multiple modules to achieve equal fusion of multi-scale features; and the detection head is based on the AsDDet (Adaptive Symmetry-aware Decoupled Detection Head) module for functional decoupling, combining dynamic label assignment and the XIoU (Extended Intersection over Union) loss function to collaboratively optimize classification, regression, and confidence prediction. Ultimately, a complete recognition framework is formed through triple symmetric optimization of “feature hierarchy, fusion path, and task functionality.” Experimental results indicate that this method effectively enhances the model’s recognition performance, achieving a P (Precision) value of 0.992 and an mAP50 (mean Average Precision at 50% IoU threshold) of 0.993. Furthermore, for ten categories of diseases, the SXA-YOLO symmetric perception recognition model outperforms other comparative models in both p value and mAP50. The improved algorithm enhances the recognition of foliar diseases in tomatoes, achieving a high level of accuracy. Full article

In this digital era, many companies are integrating new solutions involving Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based automation systems to optimize processes, reach higher efficiency, and help them with decision-making. While implementing these changes, various challenges may arise, including resistance to AI integration from employees. This study examines how employees’ perceived benefits, concerns, and trust regarding AI-driven algorithmic decision-making influence their comfort with AI-driven algorithmic decision-making in the workplace. This study employed a quantitative method by surveying employees in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Lebanon with a final sample size of 388 participants. The results demonstrate that employees are more likely to feel comfortable with AI-driven algorithmic decision-making in the workplace if they believe AI will increase efficiency, promote fairness, and decrease errors. Unexpectedly, employee concerns were positively associated with comfort, suggesting an adaptive response to AI adoption. Lastly, comfort with AI-driven algorithmic decision-making is positively correlated with greater levels of trust in AI systems. These findings provide actionable guidance to organizations, underscoring the need to communicate clearly about AI’s role, address employees’ concerns through transparency and human oversight, and invest in training and reskilling initiatives that build trust and foster responsible, employee-centered adoption of AI. Full article

Symbiotic radio (SR) has recently emerged as a promising paradigm for enabling spectrum- and energy-efficient massive connectivity in low-power Internet-of-Things (IoT) networks. By allowing passive backscatter devices (BDs) to coexist with active primary link transmissions, SR significantly improves spectrum utilization without requiring dedicated spectrum resources. However, most existing studies on multi-tag multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) SR systems assume homogeneous traffic demands among BDs and primarily focus on rate-based performance metrics, while neglecting system-level task completion time (TCT) optimization under heterogeneous data requirements. In this paper, we investigate a joint performance optimization framework for a multi-tag MIMO symbiotic radio network. We first formulate a weighted sum-rate (WSR) maximization problem for the secondary backscatter links. The original non-convex WSR maximization problem is transformed into an equivalent weighted minimum mean square error (WMMSE) problem, and then solved by a block coordinate descent (BCD) approach, where the transmit precoding matrix, decoding filters, backscatter reflection coefficients are alternatively optimized. Second, to address the transmission delay imbalance caused by heterogeneous data sizes among BDs, we further propose a rate weight adaptive task TCT minimization scheme, which dynamically updates the rate weight of each BD to minimize the overall TCT. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed framework significantly improves the WSR of the secondary system without degrading the primary link performance, and achieves substantial TCT reduction in multi-tag heterogeneous traffic scenarios, validating its effectiveness and robustness for MIMO symbiotic radio networks. Full article