Search Results (243,717)

Native soils host diverse symbiotic microflora that contribute to sustainable agricultural practices and plant establishment. This study aims to investigate the benefits of rhizosphere soil microbiota associated with four Mediterranean native plants, Rhus pentaphylla (NS1), Drimia maritima (NS2), Pistacia lentiscus (NS3), and Withania frutescens (NS4), growing in proximity to the local Moroccan almond variety Prunus dulcis (Mill.) (NS5). Native soils were applied directly as living substrates to evaluate their effects on the germination and early development of almond, with particular emphasis on the potential of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMFs). Root analysis revealed high mycorrhizal colonization intensity (M% = 87.5–95%) and infectivity (F% = 100%). Under the tested soil conditions, three native soils (NS1, NS3, and NS5) achieved germination rates exceeding 70% after 28 days. Moreover, NS5 and NS1 soils showed the strongest effects on almond germination and seedling growth, respectively. Overall, the use of native soils enhanced almond germination and early development, highlighting the role of AMFs as natural biofertilizers. The associated native plant species may also function as nurse plants that facilitate almond establishment. These findings support the use of the rhizosphere microbiome as a bio-based strategy to promote sustainable almond cultivation in local and Mediterranean agroecosystems. Full article

Continuous-Variable Quantum Key Distribution (CV-QKD) offers practical advantages for secure communication, but laser linewidth-induced phase noise remains a critical performance limitation. This work presents a comprehensive simulation-based analysis quantifying the impact of laser linewidth on secret key rate (SKR) in Gaussian-modulated coherent-state CV-QKD systems. We develop a detailed noise model incorporating detector electronics, Raman scattering, phase recovery, ADC quantization, and laser relative intensity noise. Through systematic parameter sweeps spanning linewidths from 10 Hz to 250 kHz, modulation variances from 1 to 20 SNU, and fiber distances up to 100 km, we identify three distinct operational regimes and optimization strategies for both transmitted local oscillator (TLO) and local–local oscillator (LLO) configurations under homodyne and heterodyne detection. Results show that metropolitan-scale links (50 km) require linewidths below 5 kHz to maintain secure operation, with performance decreasing beyond 25 kHz. We demonstrate that modulation variance must be jointly optimized with laser quality, with optimal values decreasing from 3–4 SNU at narrow linewidths to 2–2.5 SNU at moderate linewidths. The analysis reveals asymmetric sensitivity in LLO systems where local oscillator linewidth degrades performance more strongly than signal laser linewidth. These quantitative findings provide practical design guidelines for achieving secure CV-QKD operation over metropolitan distances with realistic hardware constraints, supporting deployment of defense-grade quantum communication networks. Full article

Non-insulated heat exchangers in gas-to-gas service lose substantial energy to the surroundings. This study evaluates Al₂O₃ and ZnO ceramic coatings (200 $\mathsf{\mu }$m) as passive thermal retention layers on the inner surface of the outer tube in a copper double-pipe heat exchanger, using 3D CFD simulations verified for internal consistency against Log Mean Heat Transfer Rate analytical solutions. Six cases were modelled: three coating conditions across parallel-flow and counter-flow configurations under laminar conditions ($R{e}_i\approx 525$, $R{e}_o\approx 192$) with air as the working fluid. The coating elevates the outer tube inner wall temperature $T_3$, increasing the convective driving force to the cold fluid while suppressing ambient dissipation. In parallel flow, Al₂O₃ increases the net inter-fluid heat transfer rate by 35.7% and reduces ambient losses by 81.4%; ZnO achieves 30.9% and 70.4%, respectively. In counter-flow, Al₂O₃ yields a 26.6% enhancement and 73.2% loss reduction. The coated parallel-flow configuration outperforms the uncoated counter-flow baseline. Thermal circuit analysis shows that Al₂O₃ superiority arises from its higher conductivity (40 vs. 19 W m⁻¹ K⁻¹), which sustains a higher equilibrium $T_3$ and a heat partition ratio of 11.84 versus 7.17 for ZnO. These results show that a single ceramic coating layer can recover a large fraction of the thermal energy lost through non-insulated walls, offering a low-cost, retrofit-compatible pathway to improve the energy efficiency of gas-to-gas heat exchangers in HVAC, building energy recovery, and industrial process heat applications. Full article

Dietary arachidonic acid (ARA) is essential for aquatic animal growth and health, but studies in bivalves are still limited. Here, microcapsule diets with increasing ARA concentrations (ARA1-6 groups: 0.35, 3.01, 5.25, 6.88, 8.69, and 10.27 mg g⁻¹ dry matter) were prepared by spray drying, and clam Sinonovacula constricta juveniles were fed these diets for 14 days. Results showed that dietary ARA concentrations did not significantly affect clams’ survival, weight gain, and shell length gain rates. The clams in the ARA6 group had significantly higher crude lipid content than those in the other microcapsule groups. The ARA concentrations in the clams increased with higher dietary ARA, while n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentrations decreased. The mRNA levels of cyclooxygenase 2 and 5-lipoxygenase type 2 were significantly higher in the ARA5 and ARA6 groups compared to the ARA1 group. The mRNA levels of 5-lipoxygenase type 3, toll-like receptor 4, and nuclear factor-kappa b p50 (nfκb p50) were significantly higher in the ARA6 group compared to the ARA1 group. As dietary ARA concentrations increased, the mRNA levels of glutamate–cysteine ligase catalytic subunit and glutathione S-transferase, along with malondialdehyde (MDA) content, increased in the clams. Additionally, the superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in the ARA5 and ARA6 groups were significantly higher than those in the ARA1 and ARA2 groups. Clam ARA content, acting as a central node, showed very strong positive correlations with MDA and cyclooxygenase 2, and very strong negative correlations with EPA and the n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio. Our results revealed that high dietary ARA, while not affecting growth, reduced the n-3/n-6 PUFA ratio and induced a response characterized by the upregulation of NF-κB and Nrf2 pathway genes in S. constricta. Full article

Age-related decline in oocyte quality is closely associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative imbalance, which disrupt redox-sensitive meiotic signaling and compromise embryo developmental competence. Rescue in vitro maturation (r-IVM) enables the utilization of immature oocytes retrieved during conventional in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycles. However, the developmental potential of r-IVM oocytes remains limited, particularly in women of advanced maternal age. This study evaluated whether transient caffeine supplementation during r-IVM improves the developmental competence of immature human oocytes in clinical assisted reproduction technology cycles. Immature oocytes obtained during conventional IVF were cultured with or without short-term caffeine exposure during r-IVM prior to standard culture conditions. After maturation, metaphase II oocytes underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection, and embryonic development was assessed by fertilization rate, day 3 good-quality embryo formation, and blastocyst development. Although caffeine supplementation did not significantly affect nuclear maturation rates, it significantly increased fertilization efficiency and the proportion of good-quality embryos compared with controls. These effects were most pronounced in women aged ≥ 37 years. Time-lapse morphokinetic analysis further revealed more synchronized developmental kinetics in embryos derived from caffeine-treated oocytes, resembling those derived from in vivo-matured oocytes. Collectively, these findings suggest that transient caffeine exposure during r-IVM enhances post-fertilization developmental competence. The underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated, and future studies are required to determine whether redox-sensitive meiotic pathways and mitochondrial function are involved. Full article

Capsule endoscopy (CE) is evolving from a primarily small-bowel imaging modality into a broader diagnostic platform that increasingly incorporates artificial intelligence (AI), robotic technologies, biosensing capabilities, and decentralized models of care. The REFLECT symposium brought together an international, multidisciplinary audience of clinicians, engineers, scientists, and healthcare stakeholders to critically evaluate the present and future role of CE across a range of gastrointestinal (GI) applications, including inflammatory bowel disease, GI bleeding, coeliac disease, and colorectal cancer screening. Discussions explored the clinical impact of panenteric and colon capsule endoscopy, the potential of AI to enhance diagnostic performance and streamline workflows, innovations in capsule hardware, and the design of patient-centred diagnostic pathways. While conventional endoscopy continues to serve as the benchmark in many clinical scenarios, CE was recognized for its ability to improve access, acceptability, and scalability when deployed in appropriately selected populations. The symposium also identified key barriers to broader implementation, such as reinvestigation rates, absence of standardized quality indicators, limited real-world evidence for AI tools, and ongoing economic and environmental challenges. Overall, the meeting highlighted the importance of gradual, evidence-driven integration of CE, supported by robust validation, standardized metrics, close clinician-engineer collaboration, and meaningful incorporation of patient experience, to support the development of a safe, equitable, and sustainable pathway. Full article

Background/Objectives: Tinnitus and reactions to the tinnitus are different dimensions that can be explored in research and in clinical settings. Notably, these dimensions can elucidate priorities and the most problematic areas for patient-centered approaches. The aim of this study is to determine how tinnitus is perceived and impacts people who have experienced tinnitus for different durations. Methods: People with tinnitus were invited to participate in a survey at the University of Iowa Tinnitus Website. 709 people responded and documented their perceived sound, problems experienced, and duration of tinnitus. We assessed correlations between the duration of tinnitus and the pitch rating, the loudness rating, and the Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire scores. Additionally, we performed a multiple linear regression analysis, considering the dependent variable ‘duration of tinnitus’, to explore associations between duration of tinnitus and the aforementioned factors. This was a cross-sectional study based on comparisons of responses from patients with different tinnitus durations, rather than examining the same patients longitudinally. Results: The analysis demonstrated that respondents with a longer duration of tinnitus reported higher loudness ratings (p = 0.010). However, their reactions to tinnitus (Tinnitus Primary Function Questionnaire) were associated with a decrease compared with a shorter duration of tinnitus (p = 0.048). There was no association between pitch rating and duration of tinnitus. Conclusions: Our findings indicated louder tinnitus was associated with a longer duration of tinnitus. However, in general, the functional impact of the tinnitus was associated with a decrease. Notably, there was considerable variability among individuals, suggesting that additional factors contribute to these relationships. These findings can be considered in treatment decisions and counseling strategies. Full article

During the marine transport of liquid hydrogen, heat ingress leads to the generation of boil-off gas (BOG), which increases the pressure in the liquid hydrogen storage tanks. Effective BOG management is therefore essential to ensure tank safety and minimize hydrogen loss. This study develops a cryogenic compression recovery and storage system for BOG generated during the marine transport of 160,000 m³ liquid hydrogen. The core process involves compressing a portion of the BOG and subsequently utilizing the BOG’s inherent cold energy to cool the compressed hydrogen, ultimately enabling the storage of the final cryogenic compressed hydrogen product. ASPEN-PLUS software was employed to analyze the proposed system’s specific energy consumption (SEC) and ψ (hydrogen density/SEC) for producing cryogenic compressed hydrogen (CcH₂) across a temperature range of 53 to 110 K and a pressure range of 40 to 100 MPa. Seven optimal sets of state parameters were identified for the cryogenic compressed hydrogen product. Based on a specified optimal parameter set of 80 K and 50 MPa, a simulation of the proposed system’s performance yielded a SEC of 2.25 kWh/kg CcH₂ and an exergy efficiency of 87.88% with BOG feed at 53 K and 0.1 MPa, along with the exergy loss and exergy efficiency for each component. Compared to a BOG re-liquefaction system and a MRJT CcH₂ system under identical conditions, the proposed system achieves 31.81% and 64.9% reduction, respectively, in SEC and 17.32% and 94.6% improvement, respectively, in exergy efficiency. Furthermore, the effects of feed temperature and cryogenic compressed hydrogen product mass flow rate on the proposed system’s SEC and exergy efficiency were investigated. Full article

Tight oil reservoirs are characterized by poor petrophysical properties. After hydraulic fracturing, the low flowback rate of fracturing fluid readily leads to the formation of a water invasion zone in the near-wellbore region, which severely restricts the performance of Carbon dioxide (CO₂) huff-n-puff. To clarify the damage mechanism of the water invasion zone on CO₂ huff-n-puff in tight oil reservoirs and determine the key regulatory parameters, tight cores with a relative water invasion zone length Δδ = 0.3 were adopted as the research subject. Five groups of injection–soaking–production time combinations were designed, and single-factor analysis was implemented using the control variable method. Integrated with numerical simulation and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) testing, the influence of the water invasion zone, pore crude oil mobilization characteristics, and parameter regulation effects were systematically explored. The results demonstrate that the water invasion zone occupies effective pore throats to form a continuous water-phase barrier, hindering CO₂ seepage and mass transfer. After four huff-n-puff cycles, the cumulative recovery factor of the water-invaded model is 4.13 percentage points lower than that of the water-free model. After four huff-n-puff cycles, the cumulative recovery factor of the water-invaded model is 4.13 percentage points lower than that of the water-free model. The NMR T₂ spectra of cores with and without water invasion exhibit remarkable discrepancies: the water-free core presents a unimodal structure, while the water-invaded core features a distinctive bimodal structure, with obvious staged characteristics in crude oil mobilization. The recovery factor declines nonlinearly and sharply with the increase of Δδ, verifying that the water invasion zone length is the dominant controlling factor. The regulation effects of injection, soaking, and production time differ significantly: injection time serves as the pivotal parameter for enhancing oil recovery. Prolonging injection time can strengthen displacement intensity and dismantle the water-phase barrier, thereby elevating the recovery factor, whereas soaking time and production time have no significant improvement effect. The results can provide valuable references for the parameter optimization of CO₂ huff-n-puff in water-invaded tight oil reservoirs. Full article

In this paper, a new hybrid prediction method is proposed for estimating remaining useful life, emissions, and performance parameters using experimental data obtained from a micro-turbojet engine. Experiments were conducted under various rotational speed conditions, yielding a total of 342 measurement points. Turbine speed, exhaust gas temperature, fuel flow rate, and thrust were considered as input variables in the study. Thermal efficiency, total power, CO₂, and NO₂ were considered as output variables. The experimental findings showed that thermal efficiency varied between 0.49% and 7.1%, total power between 0.266 and 13.94 kW, and CO₂ emissions by volume between 0.317% and 2.183%. The proposed RL-MH-LR-CBR approach combines the advantages of multiple methods. In this method, the interpretable formulation of linear regression serves as the foundation. Additionally, in the adaptive meta-heuristic optimization process, a hyper-heuristic selection mechanism based on the UCB1-based multi-arm bandit approach is used to select the optimal algorithm from among the meta-heuristic methods. Finally, the CatBoost-based residual error learning component aims to capture non-linear patterns that cannot be explained by the linear model. The method was compared with 14 different methods on both the NASA C-MAPSS FD001 dataset and real engine data. The results demonstrate that the proposed framework exhibits more balanced, stable, and higher generalization capabilities compared to classical regression models and powerful AI methods, particularly in non-linear, noisy, and heterogeneous outputs. In the real engine dataset, the proposed method produced R² values of 0.968 for CO₂ and 0.936 for NO₂, while the predictive performance was even stronger for thermal efficiency and total power, with corresponding R² values of 0.998 and 0.995, respectively. Additionally, the method demonstrated a clear advantage in hard-to-model outputs by reducing the error level to 0.061 in NO₂ predictions. These findings demonstrate that the proposed approach is not limited to micro-turbojet-engines. The developed method provides a robust decision support framework that is applicable, scalable, and generalizable to predictive maintenance, emissions monitoring, energy systems, aviation analytics, and other highly dynamic engineering problems. Full article

Automatic Identification System (AIS) trajectories provide valuable spatiotemporal information for maritime route structure mining, but robust extraction of key route nodes remains difficult because raw data are noisy, turning behaviors are easily masked by local fluctuations, and conventional Density-Based Spatial Clustering of Applications with Noise (DBSCAN) is sensitive to fixed parameters and ignores heading differences. To address these issues, this study proposes a key route node extraction framework based on multi-constraint turning-point identification and heading-aware adaptive DBSCAN (HA-DBSCAN). Raw AIS data are first cleaned, segmented, and compressed using a heading-aware Douglas–Peucker strategy to reduce redundancy while preserving geometric and directional characteristics. Valid turning points are then identified by jointly considering heading change rate, geometric curvature, and temporal stability. Finally, HA-DBSCAN integrates a heading-aware distance metric, adaptive neighborhood estimation, and density-aware MinPts optimization to cluster turning points and extract representative route nodes. Experiments using AIS data from the Ningbo–Zhoushan Port area retained 287,614 valid records and 754 continuous trajectory segments, from which 1710 turning points were identified. The proposed method generated 45 stable clusters with a noise ratio of 0.0450 and route coverage of 95.5%. These results indicate that, within the current study setting, the framework can distinguish crossing routes, adapt to heterogeneous traffic densities, and provide an interpretable intermediate layer for subsequent maritime route-structure modeling. Supplementary validation on the same AIS dataset further showed that, compared with DBSCAN, Ordering Points To Identify the Clustering Structure (OPTICS), and HDBSCAN baselines as well as several pipeline ablations, the full framework achieved a more balanced performance in terms of coverage, noise suppression, and avoidance of cluster over-fragmentation. Full article

Passive state preparation–continuous variable quantum key distribution (PSP-CVQKD) protocol inherits the advantage of high secret key rate (SKR) of CVQKD, while overcoming the drawback of complex modulation equipment in GMCS-CVQKD. In recent years, it has received extensive attention in the experimental field. Even so, short transmission distance remains its prominent issue. In this paper, a scheme for introducing non-Gaussian operations into PSP-CVQKD in optical fiber links is proposed. We derive the input–output relationship of the system, as well as the calculation formulas for the success probability and SKR, when non-Gaussian operations are introduced at both sides of the channels respectively. The results indicate that the improved PSP-CVQKD scheme is feasible in enhancing the SKR performance and can effectively increase the transmission distance. Our scheme provides beneficial ideas for further in-depth research on non-Gaussian operations and the performance improvement of other PSP-CVQKD protocols. Full article

To improve the thermal management performance of lithium-ion batteries under high discharge rates and complex operating conditions, a bidirectional parallel bionic flow-channel cooling plate is proposed, with agricultural electric forklifts taken as the representative application background. Numerical simulations were first carried out to compare the heat dissipation characteristics of a conventional leaf-vein flow channel, a unidirectional parallel bionic leaf-vein flow channel, and a bidirectional parallel bionic leaf-vein flow channel. On this basis, the effects of structural parameters on the thermal performance of the liquid cooling plate were systematically investigated using a single-factor analysis method. Furthermore, an orthogonal optimization experiment was performed for four major influencing factors. The results indicate that the unidirectional parallel bionic leaf-vein flow channel improved the coolant coverage relative to the conventional leaf-vein structure; however, owing to the one-sided coolant supply mode, a high-temperature retention zone tended to appear at the end of the channel. In contrast, the bidirectional parallel bionic design effectively alleviated this problem by supplying coolant synchronously from both sides. The main channel width, branch channel width, total channel height, and branch inclination angle were identified as the dominant factors affecting heat dissipation performance. Under the optimized structure and operating condition, the maximum temperature and temperature difference of the battery module were reduced to 29.85 °C and 4.48 °C, respectively. Full article

Background/Objectives: Infertility affects about 17.5% of people globally, with higher rates in women. Despite advances in assisted reproductive technologies, success remains limited. Endometrial scratching (ES) is proposed to enhance implantation by altering cytokines and gene expression, but evidence is conflicting. Methods: A systematic search of the PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Scopus databases was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Eight randomized controlled trials (RCTs) involving women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), with ES performed in the luteal phase of the cycle preceding IVF or ICSI, were included. Results: The meta-analysis included 3210 patients and 1445 clinical pregnancies (754 in the ES group and 691 in the control group). In the ES group, a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate (CPR) (RR 1.09, 95% CI 1.01–1.18, p = 0.02) was revealed. Pooled data from six studies reporting live birth rates (1268 births) showed a significant increase in the LBR after ES (RR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03–1.22, p = 0.01). The ongoing pregnancy rate (OPR) was also statistically significant in the ES group (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01–1.26, p = 0.03). Conclusions: This meta-analysis shows a small but statistically significant and consistent positive effect of ES on the LBR, CPR, and OPR in women undergoing IVF or ICSI, with a modest but measurable absolute benefit of approximately 4–5 additional events per 100 individuals. This procedure may particularly benefit patients with impaired endometrial receptivity, potentially enhancing reproductive outcomes while reducing the time and cost required to achieve a successful pregnancy. Further research is warranted to optimize its use and identify patients most likely to benefit. Full article

Background and Objectives: Acute cholecystitis is a common indication for emergency surgery. While acute calculous cholecystitis (ACC) is most common, acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) occurs without gallstones and is often associated with severe systemic illness. We compared early postoperative outcomes after cholecystectomy for AAC versus ACC, with emphasis on complication severity and overall morbidity burden. Materials and Methods: We performed a single-center retrospective cohort study of consecutive adults undergoing urgent or emergent cholecystectomy for acute cholecystitis between December 2020 and April 2025. Patients with chronic cholecystitis, duplicate records, missing group assignment, or incomplete 30-day follow-up were excluded. The primary 30-day endpoints were postoperative complications, their severity (assessed with Clavien–Dindo scale), and cumulative morbidity assessed using the Comprehensive Complication Index. Secondary outcomes included operative approach, postoperative length of stay, 30-day readmission, and mortality. Results: A total of 221 patients were analyzed (181 ACC, 40 AAC). Patients with AAC were older and more frequently male. Any complication within 30 days occurred substantially more often in AAC patients than in ACC patients. Morbidity severity also differed markedly, with higher-grade complications occurring more frequently in the AAC group. AAC patients exhibited a substantially greater overall morbidity burden, indicating not only more frequent complications but also a heavier cumulative impact. Thirty-day mortality was considerably higher in AAC. Open surgery was more commonly required in AAC, whereas postoperative length of stay and 30-day readmission rates were similar between groups. Conclusions: In this cohort, AAC was associated with substantially worse early outcomes after cholecystectomy than ACC, characterized by a pronounced increase in clinically significant complications (Clavien–Dindo ≥ IIIa), greater cumulative morbidity (CCI), and markedly higher 30-day mortality. These findings support treating AAC as a high-risk phenotype warranting intensified perioperative optimization and vigilant postoperative monitoring. Full article