Search Results (47,139)

The paper investigates disparities in food waste generation across European Union countries between 2020 and 2022, focusing on spatial and sustainability dimensions. It utilizes data for six key food waste parameters and a broad range of environmental, social and economic indicators. A combination of statistical methods, including correlation analysis, cluster analysis and Principal Component Analysis, uncovers multivariate patterns and identifies groups of countries with similar food waste characteristics and related factors. The paper highlights the temporal and spatial dynamics of food waste over the three-year period, particularly in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. While the total volume of food waste remained relatively stable across the EU, notable shifts occurred in waste sources. Household food waste peaked in 2021, likely due to increased time spent at home during pandemic-related lockdowns. Conversely, waste from retail, restaurants and food service sectors showed a consistent increase. The paper identifies non-trivial correlations between food waste and socio-economic variables, suggesting that differences in food waste generation across EU countries are influenced by a complex interplay of factors, including policy effectiveness, cultural practices, consumer behaviour and economic conditions. This comprehensive analysis of food waste patterns across EU countries and over time offers valuable insights for policymakers aiming to reduce waste and promote sustainability. Full article

In this work, we investigate advanced photocatalyst Bi₃TiNbO₉ as promising piezophotocatalyst in terms of the effect of synthesis methods on the surface chemistry, structure, and catalytic performance in process of contaminant removal. Samples were prepared via solid-state reaction (BTNO-900) and molten salt synthesis (BTNO-800), leading to distinct morphologies and defect distributions. SEM imaging revealed that BTNO-900 consists of agglomerated, irregular particles, while BTNO-800 exhibits well-faceted, plate-like grains. Nitrogen adsorption analysis showed that the molten-synthesized sample possesses a significantly higher specific surface area (5.9 m²/g vs. 1.4 m²/g) and slightly larger average pore diameter (2.8 nm vs. 2.6 nm). High-resolution XPS revealed systematic shifts in binding energies for Bi 4f, Ti 2p, Nb 3d, and O 1s peaks in BTNO-900, accompanied by a higher content of adsorbed oxygen species (57% vs. 7.2%), indicating an increased concentration of oxygen vacancies and surface hydroxylation due to the solid-state synthesis route. Catalytic testing demonstrated that BTNO exhibits enhanced piezocatalytic efficiency of Methylene Blue degradation (~78% for both samples), whereas BTNO-800 shows significantly reduced photocatalytic activity (45.6%) compared to BTNO-900 (84.1%), suggesting recombination effects dominate in the more defective material. Synergism of light and mechanical stress results in piezophotocatalytic degradation for both samples (92.4% and 93.4%, relatively). These findings confirm that synthesis-controlled defect engineering is a key parameter for optimizing the photocatalytic behavior of Bi₃TiNbO₉-based layered oxides and crucial role of its piezocatalytic activity. Full article

14CrMoR steel, possessing excellent low-temperature impact toughness and corrosion resistance, is an important material for core equipment in the coal chemical industry. In this paper, 14CrMoR steel was subjected to single-pass compression tests at deformation temperatures ranging from 900 to 1150 °C and strain rates of 0.1, 1, 5, and 10 s⁻¹. The hot deformation behavior and constitutive relationship were investigated. The strain rate sensitivity factor m, power dissipation coefficient η, and instability parameter ξ were calculated, respectively. A power dissipation map was plotted, and a hot processing map was established. The results showed that the stress of 14CrMoR steel increased with the decrease in deformation temperature and the increase in strain rate. Dynamic recrystallization was likely to occur at high deformation temperatures and low strain rates. When the strain rate was 10 s⁻¹, in the temperature range of 900–950 °C, the power dissipation rate was the lowest. With the increase in temperature, the power dissipation rate rose, and the maximum power dissipation rate was reached in the temperature range of 1100–1150 °C. The research on the hot deformation behavior of 14CrMoR steel has important guiding significance for the design and optimization of the process. Full article

Background/Objective: Tear hyperosmolarity is the main triggering factor in the immunopathogenesis of dry eye disease (DED). Tear osmolarity is known as the relevant metric to evaluate DED severity; however, measuring tear osmolarity after slit lamp examination (SLE) is known as a contraindication due to variability. In this study, we investigated the effects of SLE and fluorescein staining (FS) on the variabilities of tear osmolarity. Methods: In this prospective observational study sixty-five patients were enrolled in the study, comprising 31 healthy controls and 34 DED patients. The tear osmolarity was measured in the right eye using the TearLab^® system. The initial measurements were performed to establish baseline values before SLE, and additional measurements were performed after 20 s of SLE and followed by 20 s of SLE+FS. There were five-minute intervals between measurements. A correlation analysis was performed between OSDI score, tear film break-up time (TBUT), and tear osmolarity. A linear mixed-effects model was also applied to account for repeated measures and inter-subject variability. Results: The mean ages of the control and DED group were 31.3 ± 11.5 and 50.5 ± 15.5 years. Increased tear osmolarity was significantly associated with greater OSDI score and lower TBUT only in DED patients, but not in normal controls (OSDI:R = 0.378/p = 0.030, TBUT:R = −0.543/p = 0.011). The mean tear osmolarities in the normal controls were 298.3 ± 11.3, 299.1 ± 13.3, and 297.0 ± 12.6 mOsm/L at baseline (group 1), after SLE (group 2), and after SLE+FS (group 3), respectively, with no significant difference (p = 0.379). However, there was a significant difference in the tear osmolarities of the three groups in the DED patients (296.1 ± 11.5, 296.5 ± 11.0, and 291.2 ± 11.3 mOsm/L for groups 1–3, respectively/p < 0.001). The tear osmolarity of group 3 was significantly lower than those of groups 1 and 2 in the DED patients (p = 0.010/0.016). After FS, the mean tear osmolarity decreased by 4.9 ± 9.2 mOsm compared to the baseline in DED group. Conclusions: Tear osmolarity was only decreased in DED patients after SLE+FS, whereas it was unaffected in normal control subjects. Increased tear osmolarity in only DED patients correlated with increased symptom scores and decreased TBUT. These fluctuations in tear osmolarity reflect compromised tear film homeostasis in DED, highlighting the need to contextualize osmolarity data with clinical DED parameters. Full article

To reveal the mechanism by which exogenous dopamine (Da) regulates Shine Muscat grape (Vitis labrusca L. × Vitis vinifera L.) in response to low-temperature stress, annual Shine Muscat grape plants were used as material. Different concentrations of Da (0.2–1.0 mmol·L⁻¹) were set to investigate its synergistic regulatory effects on grape photosynthetic protection, osmotic adjustment, ion homeostasis, antioxidant defense, and cold-responsive gene expression and to identify the optimal concentration and core pathways through correlation analysis. The results showed that low-temperature stress significantly inhibited plant growth, reduced photosynthetic efficiency, disrupted ion balance, induced oxidative damage, and downregulated the expression of cold-responsive genes. Da exhibited a “low-concentration promotion and high-concentration inhibition” effect, with the 0.4 mmol·L⁻¹ treatment showing the best performance: growth indicators such as plant height and stem diameter increased by 22.4%–52.2% compared with the low-temperature stress group; photosynthetic parameters and photosystem II (PSII) function were significantly improved; proline content increased by 40.3%; the Na⁺/K⁺ ratio decreased by 44.8%; activity of antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and peroxidase (POD) increased by 31.7%–49.5%; and the expression of genes in the C-repeat binding factor (CBF) family was upregulated. Correlation analysis confirmed that the activity of SOD and catalase (CAT) showed a highly significant positive correlation with growth indicators (r > 0.8, p < 0.01) and a highly significant negative correlation with malondialdehyde (MDA) content (r < −0.8, p < 0.01), indicating that antioxidant defense is the core pathway. In conclusion, exogenous Da enhances the cold tolerance of Shine Muscat grape through multi-pathway synergy, with 0.4 mmol L⁻¹ the optimal concentration, which can provide a theoretical basis for cold-resistant cultivation of grapes. Full article

This study investigates the fatigue bending strength, measured as the Mean of Fatigue Cycles (N), of cylindrical components produced by external wire arc additive manufacturing (WAAM) through a Taguchi L25 orthogonal array and linear regression analysis. Five welding parameters—welding current (Ampe), offset distance (mm), step length (mm), welding speed (mm/min), and specimen gauge diameter (mm)—were evaluated to maximize N using signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios. Nominal bending stresses (σ) ranged from 45 to 54 MPa, ANOVA on raw replicate data (25 runs, 3 replicates) confirmed specimen gauge diameter = 17 mm and weld current = 125 A as dominant, with F = 171.62 (p < 0.001, eta² = 0.62 [95% confidence intervals (CI) 0.55–0.68]) for specimen gauge diameter and F = 6.13 (p < 0.001, eta² = 0.13 [95% CI 0.08–0.18]) for weld current, accounting for ~75% of the variance. Optimal settings (offset distance = 3.0 mm, step length = 1000 mm, welding speed = 550 mm/min, specimen gauge diameter = 17 mm) achieved S/N = 111.35 dB, predicting N ≈ 350,000–380,000 cycles, a 22–33% improvement. Interactions between specimen gauge diameter and speed, and between weld current and offset distance, suggested enhanced strength at speed = 400–450 mm/min for specimen gauge diameter = 17 mm. Basquin’s law (b ≈ 0.72, R² = 0.992) confirmed weld current as key. The linear regression model (adjusted R² = 0.9506) had coefficients for specimen gauge diameter (+70,120 cycles/mm, p < 0.001) and weld current (+1088 cycles/Ampe, p = 0.02), but lower test R² = 0.7212 via cross-validation (60/20/20 split) indicates overfitting due to small dataset size (25 runs), suggesting larger datasets or nonlinear models (e.g., polynomial regression, RSM). Confirmation runs (N = 317,082, 95% CI [287,000–347,000]) validated the results within ~13% error. WAAM reaches 80–90% of traditional manufacturing (TM) fatigue performance, with a 10–20% gap due to the microstructure; recommendations include post-treatments and safety factors (~1.2). Full article

Due to intensive urbanization, global warming, and increasing energy demands, the impact of urban heat islands is becoming more significant. This study investigates the contribution of vehicular emissions to air pollution and its effects on urban heat island intensity in a selected area of Belgrade, Serbia, between March and September 2015, using a combination of experimental measurements and numerical simulations. Furthermore, this study presents the results of the research on the impact of assessment of traffic-induced air pollution on the appearance of thermal islands in the urban environment, as well as the characterization of thermal islands and their quantification. This study quantifies the effects of traffic-related emissions and urban meteorological parameters on the intensity of the urban heat island by combining field measurements with a validated three-dimensional numerical model and shows that higher traffic density increases pollutant concentrations and cooling energy demand in buildings. The study includes experimental measurements of traffic intensity and modeling of gas emissions from major roads. Using long-term and short-term field measurements, concentrations of carbon dioxide and other pollutants were analyzed with meteorological parameters and their cumulative impact to assess their impact on local air quality. A three-dimensional numerical model for simulating the dispersion of pollutants has been developed, confirmed and validated by experimental data. The results highlight a direct correlation between traffic density and pollutant concentrations, emphasizing the need for strategic urban planning and sustainable transport policies to mitigate the effects of air pollution. A validated numerical model was used to simulate dynamic changes in temperature fields and carbon dioxide concentrations caused by vehicular emissions. The findings reveal that the Urban Heat Island Intensity (UHII) for the selected area in Belgrade reached peaks of up to 12 °C during the summer measurement period, with typical values in July ranging from 5 °C to 9 °C. Furthermore, the validated numerical model demonstrated that the removal of urban trees would lead to a local air temperature increase of 1.5 °C to 3 °C, quantifying the significant cooling potential of green infrastructure. These results highlight a direct correlation between traffic density, pollutant concentrations, and the intensification of urban heat islands, emphasizing the need for strategic urban planning. Furthermore, the findings reveal that increased traffic not only elevates air pollutant levels but also enhances the intensity of urban heat islands, leading to higher cooling energy demands in buildings. These insights are vital for developing effective mitigation strategies to improve the sustainability of urban environments and living conditions. These findings provide a clear directive for urban planners: the integration and preservation of green infrastructure is a highly effective UHI mitigation strategy, capable of reducing local temperatures by 1.5–3 °C. Furthermore, the results strongly support the implementation of targeted traffic management policies in dense urban cores as a dual strategy to improve air quality and reduce local thermal loads. Full article

This study investigated the drying–grinding–extrusion processing of camel compound feeds enriched with locally available botanicals. A 2 × 2 × 3 full factorial design was applied to evaluate the effects of infrared drying temperature (two levels), grinding time (two levels), and extrusion screw speed (three levels) on process efficiency and product quality. Moisture calibration was performed using gravimetric reference values. Drying kinetics were modeled with Page and Midilli equations, while specific energy consumption (SEC) and specific moisture extraction rate (SMER) were calculated. Particle-size distribution, extrusion parameters, and extrudate properties (expansion ratio, bulk density, water absorption index (WAI), water solubility index (WSI), hardness, and color) were analyzed. Infrared drying resulted in faster moisture removal and greater energy efficiency compared with convective drying. The Midilli model provided the best fit to drying kinetics data. The results indicate that optimized combinations of drying, grinding, and extrusion conditions can enhance the technological and nutritional potential of camel compound feeds; however, biological validation is required. Limitations: These findings are limited to processing and compositional outcomes; biological validation in camels (in vivo or in vitro) remains necessary to confirm effects on digestibility, health, or performance. Full article

The quality of tomato fruit represents a key determinant of consumer preference, while functional fertilisers significantly contribute to quality enhancement. Limited research has investigated the synergistic mechanisms between functional fertilisers and vermicompost in tomato cultivation systems. The present study was designed to investigate the effects of synergistic regulation between functional fertilisers and vermicompost on soil fertility, as well as the growth and quality of two tomato cultivars, with the ultimate goal of identifying the functional fertiliser treatment exhibiting optimal comprehensive performance. A completely randomised block design was adopted, involving two tomato cultivars (DRK0568 and Sangfen 180), five functional fertiliser treatments (T1–T5), and a water-only control (CK). Measurements included tomato growth parameters, photosynthetic characteristics, fruit quality indices, yield components, biomass accumulation, soil nutrient levels, and enzyme activities. The results demonstrated significant varietal-specific responses to different functional fertiliser treatments. In terms of growth and yield, the T1 treatment exhibited a significant advantage, as it significantly increased the plant height, stem thickness, biomass, and yield of both varieties (DRK0568 and Sangfen 180) by 6.86% and 10.41%, respectively, while also significantly reducing the malformed fruit rate. For photosynthetic analyses, the T1 treatment significantly increased the chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll content in Sangfen 180, as well as the transpiration rate of both tomato varieties. The T4 treatment resulted in the highest chlorophyll b content and optimal water use efficiency in Sangfen 180. Regarding nutritional quality, the T1 treatment significantly increased the vitamin C and soluble sugar content in DRK0568; both varieties exhibited higher sugar–acid ratios under the T3 and T4 treatments. A comprehensive evaluation using the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method for multiple quality indicators (excluding yield parameters) showed that the T4 treatment achieved the highest score. Soil nutrient analyses revealed that the T1 treatment significantly increased the soil organic matter and available potassium content in DRK0568, while the T4 treatment significantly increased the urease activity in Sangfen 180. In conclusion, the T1 treatment (mineral-sourced potassium fulvate fertiliser) exhibited excellent performance in both increasing yield and improving quality, while the T4 treatment (Type II algal polysaccharide fertiliser additive) demonstrated unique advantages in enhancing fruit quality indicators. Full article

Olanzapine and clozapine, two of the most efficacious second-generation antipsychotic drugs (SGAs), are known to cause serious metabolic side effects. Despite their clinical utility, the epigenetic basis of these metabolic side-effects remains poorly understood. This exploratory study investigated whether histone methylation is associated with metabolic disorders following chronic SGA treatment. Rats were treated with olanzapine or clozapine for 9 weeks and then sacrificed 2 h after the final treatment. After evaluating the metabolic parameters, Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP)-deep sequencing was conducted on liver tissue pooled from twelve samples per group to quantify histone H3K4me2 methylation and transcriptional changes. Gene ontology term enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) analysis were used to explore shared functional pathways of genes with differential histone methylation. Key findings revealed that both olanzapine and clozapine induced widespread changes in hepatic histone methylation, particularly hypermethylation at H3K4me2 across genes involved in lipid and glucose metabolism, insulin signalling, and adipogenesis. Olanzapine- and clozapine-treated rats displayed increased H3K4me2 levels at numerous gene loci and at distinct genomic regions. These findings suggest the importance of monitoring metabolic parameters in psychiatric patients and potential novel strategies to mitigate SGA-induced metabolic side effects. Full article

Background: Qishen granule (QSG) is a widely prescribed herbal formula for the treatment of chronic heart failure. The mechanisms of action of QSG have been clarified; however, the effective substances remain unclear. This lack of clarity hinders quality control and the consistency of the clinical efficacy of QSG. Methods: In the present study, an integrated strategy for an efficacy- and in vivo exposure-oriented study involving metabolite profiling, molecular docking, in vitro bioassays, and in vivo pharmacokinetics was proposed for investigating the potentially effective components of QSG. Results: In total, 101 prototypes/metabolites were preliminarily identified and characterized by UHPLC-Q TOF-MS/MS. Molecular docking of the absorbed constituents with targeted proteins suggested that 49 potential components were highly related to chronic heart failure (CHF). Then, the effectiveness of these potential compounds was verified by the oxygen glucose deprivation/re-oxygenation (OGD/R)-induced H9c2 cell model. As a result, 14 active components were screened, and their median effective concentration (EC₅₀) was calculated and utilized to generate the weight coefficient for the bioeffect of each constituent. By exploring the kinetic parameters of the active compounds in a pharmacokinetic study, the exposure levels of these pharmacologically active compounds were determined by area under the curve (AUC_0→∞) calculations. Finally, by calculating the effect–constituent index (ECI) for each compound, five key active components (cryptochlorogenic acid, chlorogenic acid, isochlorogenic acid C, salvianolic acid B, and neochlorogenic acid), which possess both pharmacological activities and higher exposure levels, were revealed to be the key effective substances of QSG. Conclusions: This study is the first to combine pharmacological activities with in vivo exposure for investigating the effective components of QSG. The identification of key active components provides a foundation for improving the quality control of QSG in clinics. The efficacy- and in vivo exposure-oriented integrated method could provide reliable references for other traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs). Full article

The bionic pumping system can effectively improve the hydrodynamic conditions in plain river networks, thereby mitigating the frequent algal blooms in these regions. This study employs numerical simulations to investigate how heave amplitude and chord length affect the hydrodynamic performance of both multi-hydrofoil and single-hydrofoil systems. The operating frequencies for the two configurations are selected by combining these results with the flow velocity threshold required to suppress algal blooms. The results show that the pumping efficiency of the multi-hydrofoil system increases with chord length and heave amplitude, and the optimal parameter combination is c = 0.18W and h_max = 0.7c. For the single-hydrofoil system, efficiency first rises and then falls, peaking at c = 0.16 W and h_max = 0.6c. Under the algal bloom suppression threshold of 0.15 m/s, the multi-hydrofoil system meets the criterion across the entire cross-section at 0.10 Hz, making it suitable for raising flow velocity throughout the water body and for comprehensive bloom suppression. By contrast, the single-hydrofoil system produces an uneven wake with lower velocities in the upper region, so even at higher operating frequencies, it cannot cover the entire cross-section; it is therefore more appropriate for localized velocity enhancement and localized suppression of algal accumulation. Full article

Background: High-dose methotrexate (HDMTX) is widely used for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), but its pharmacokinetic (PK) variability and toxicity require therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM). Our 10-year retrospective study investigated HDMTX PK parameters and their associations with renal and hepatic biomarkers in an Italian cohort of adult patients with ALL. Methods: Plasma MTX concentrations [MTX C(p)] were measured at 24-, 48-, and 72 h post-infusion. PK modelling was performed to calculate area under the curve (AUC_{0 → 72 h}) and half-life (t½). Creatinine, total bilirubin, and sample quality indices were retrieved from routine clinical laboratory analyses. Results: Mean (±SEM) MTX plasma concentrations were 36.09 ± 15.53 μmol/L, 0.93 ± 0.43 μmol/L, and 0.30 ± 0.07 μmol/L at 24, 48, and 72 h, respectively, with marked inter-patient variability. PK analysis showed a mean AUC_{0 → 72 h} of 112.85 ± 34.09 h·μmol/L and a t½ of 17.15 ± 2.40 h. MTX C(p) and AUC_{0 → 72 h} showed significant positive correlations with serum creatinine at all time points, confirming renal function as a major MTX clearance determinant. Age moderated the relationship at 72 h, with younger patients showing stronger correlations. Hepatic function measured by total bilirubin also correlated with MTX C(p) and AUC_{0 → 72 h} at 48 and 72 h, especially in younger patients, suggesting a hepatic contribution to MTX variability. No associations were found between the PK parameters and lipemic, icterus, or haemolysis indices. Conclusions: These findings highlight the value of integrating renal and hepatic biomarkers into HDMTX drug monitoring protocols. Such biomarker-informed TDM may improve the safety and efficacy by identifying patients at risk of delayed clearance and toxicity, especially younger individuals or those with renal insufficiency. Full article

Previous studies have demonstrated that melatonin (MLT) enhances boar sperm motility by modulating energy metabolism status, yet the underlying mechanisms remain incompletely understood. This study aims to investigate whether sirtuin 3 (SIRT3), a key mitochondrial deacetylase, mediates MLT’s effects. Herein, the semen of six Landrace boars (16–18 months of age) was treated with 1.0 μM MLT with/without the SIRT3 inhibitor 3-TYP, preserved at 17 °C for 3 days, and subsequently maintained at 37 °C for a duration of 10 min. We demonstrated that MLT upregulated SIRT3 protein expression and reduced the acetylation level in mitochondrial proteins. MLT significantly increased glucose uptake and suppressed lactate release in the sperm, while elevating levels of pyruvate and acetyl-CoA, the substrates of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) and the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle, respectively, and the protein expression of PDH, indicating enhanced metabolic flux. Notably, inhibition of SIRT3 reversed MLT’s effects: it blocked the increases in SIRT3 expression, glucose consumption, PDH expression, complex I activity, ATP content, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity, and prevented the decreases in the levels of acetylation and lactate, as well as pyruvate kinase (PK) activity, confirming the essential role of SIRT3. Functionally, the MLT-induced improvements in sperm motility parameters (total, progressive, fast motility, immotile) were also reversed by 3-TYP. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that the SIRT3-mediated pathway is essential for MLT to enhance boar sperm energy metabolism and antioxidant defense, thereby increasing ATP production and enhancing sperm motility. Targeting SIRT3 represents a promising therapeutic strategy for improving boar fertility and may also provide insights for research into human male infertility. Full article

In this paper, we develop a delayed malaria model that integrates a discrete time delay and a non-smooth threshold-based control strategy. Using the time delay τ as a bifurcation parameter, we investigate the local stability of the endemic equilibrium through analysis of the characteristic equation. We establish sufficient conditions for the occurrence of Hopf bifurcation, demonstrating how stability switches emerge as τ varies. Furthermore, when the infected population exceeds a critical threshold I_m, a sliding mode domain arises. We analyze the dynamics within this sliding region using the Utkin equivalent control method. Numerical simulations are provided to support the theoretical findings, illustrating the complex dynamical behaviors induced by both delay and threshold control. Full article