Search Results (11,335)

The composition of the surface, optical response, and size of the carbon dots synthesized from Valencia orange peels (Citrus sinensis L. Osbeck) were studied. The peels used in the hydrothermal synthesis were at three ripeness stages, and the synthesis was carried out at 220 °C and 3 MPa. Infrared spectroscopy results showed that carbon dots synthesized from the peels of unripe oranges are functionalized with oxygenated groups, and the carbonization process was effective. Instead, carbon dots obtained from peels of ripe oranges exhibit a nitrogen-functionalized surface. These results were confirmed by the bond-breakdown analysis in photoelectron spectroscopy. Additionally, the self-doped surface modified the optical response of the carbon dots, exhibiting an enhancement of the absorption band located at 283 nm corresponding to the contribution from n-π* transitions in nitrogen. Also, the excitation and emission wavelengths present a red shift for the ripe peels. Based on the above and the transmission electron microscopy results, it is concluded that the emission mechanism is associated with surface states and not particle size. Statistical analysis yielded an average size of less than 10 nm, regardless of the orange peels’ ripeness stage. It was observed that the CDs-N3 sample has more crystalline nuclei, which is justified because ripe peels follow a shorter carbonization pathway. Full article

This study examines the association between corporate governance and financial performance and investigates whether real earnings management (REM) mediates this relationship in an emerging-market context. Using a balanced panel of 434 nonfinancial listed firms in Vietnam from 2020 to 2024, yielding 2170 firm-year observations, the study employs feasible generalized least squares (FGLS) after diagnostic tests indicate heteroskedasticity and autocorrelation. The Durbin–Wu–Hausman test does not indicate significant endogeneity in the current model specification. REM is measured using the Roychowdhury-based approach, and mediation effects are examined through sequential regressions. Tobin’s Q is used for robustness testing, and a two-step System GMM is used as an additional robustness test. The results show that board size, institutional ownership, and state ownership are positively associated with financial performance, while board independence is negatively associated with performance. Board financial expertise has no significant direct relationship with performance. REM is negatively associated with financial performance and serves as a mediating channel in the governance–performance relationship. The study contributes to the corporate governance literature by showing that REM can transmit governance effects to firm performance in an emerging market characterized by evolving enforcement, state ownership, and potential gaps between formal and substantive governance mechanisms. Full article

Transposable elements (TEs) are inserted into the genome and may change its properties; those occurring in or near regulatory regions may also alter gene expression. Given the challenges of detecting insertions in short-read sequencing, we analyzed structural variants in polar and brown bear genomes by a reciprocal alignment of one species’ sample genomes to a reference sequence of the other species, thus inferring TE insertion as the other genome’s “deletions”. With this approach, we detected short interspersed elements (SINEs) belonging to the CAN SINE family as dominant fixed TEs. We observed a non-random distribution of CAN SINE insertion positions near both protein- and RNA-coding genes, where TEs often overlap UTRs or occur in their vicinity. In contrast, SINEs avoid coding sequences, suggesting TE insertions that would disrupt such sequences are under purifying selection. We used black bear as an outgroup and determined that most of the CAN SINE insertions in the polar bear genome were derived, since they are not present in black or brown bear, while there is no dominant trend for CAN SINE insertions in brown bear relative to the outgroup. Many of the genes with UTRs affected by CAN SINEs are potentially relevant to the differences between the species (body shape, size, etc.) or to Arctic-adaptation phenotypes such as fur color, metabolism, and the immune system. This supports a model that CAN SINEs have contributed to regulatory evolution in bears and provides further evidence of such events across carnivore genomes in the animal kingdom. Full article

Remote sensing contributes to characterizing forest structure across heterogeneous tropical regions, yet structural parameters used to compare Atlantic Forest phytophysiognomies remain limited, especially in fragmented landscapes affected by multiple drivers of forest loss and degradation. This study used Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) data to compare the structure of old-growth candidate forest polygons in four Brazilian Atlantic Forest phytophysiognomies: Dense Ombrophilous Forest (DOF), Mixed Ombrophilous Forest (MOF), Seasonal Semideciduous Forest (SSdF), and Seasonal Deciduous Forest (SDF). We analyzed canopy height (H), canopy cover (COVER), foliage height diversity (FHD), plant area index (PAI), and aboveground biomass density (AGBD) from GEDI L2B and L4A footprints acquired between 2019 and 2024. Structural differences among phytophysiognomies were significant for all variables (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.001), with small-to-moderate effect sizes (ε² ≈ 0.05–0.15). The strongest pairwise contrasts occurred for SDF–SSdF and SSdF–DOF, whereas MOF showed greater overlap with the other groups. Across variables, AGBD and H were the most consistent discriminators, and polygon-level summaries strengthened among-group separation. These findings show that GEDI-derived polygon-level metrics can support regional comparisons of forest structure among Atlantic Forest phytophysiognomies and help identify the strongest contrasts in fragmented landscapes. Full article

Small and medium enterprises routinely face a paradox in financial monitoring: their accounting documents exist, but the cost of converting heterogeneous PDFs into timely financial signals is prohibitive without dedicated analytical staff or specialized software. This paper presents a two-layer artifact, designed under Design Science Research, that bridges this gap using only public-web large language models (LLMs) and a parsimonious multi-criteria decision routine. Layer 1 implements a structured LLM-driven workflow that extracts account–value pairs from annual tax balance sheets without code, APIs, or fine-tuning. Layer 2 reconstructs auditable accounting aggregates and ranks yearly financial condition through TOPSIS with min–max normalization—a deliberate replacement for classical vector normalization, which fails when profitability indicators are negative, as routinely occurs in distress years. To avoid size effects and algebraic redundancy, the decision matrix uses only three criteria spanning liquidity, profitability, and solvency. The artifact is demonstrated in a four-year case study of an anonymized construction SME (2021–2024), with accountant-verified document-level match rates of 0.810, 0.998, 0.950, and 0.909. Equal weighting is the only weighting configuration used; a supplementary entropy-based dispersion diagnostic yields the same ordinal ranking—2024 > 2023 > 2021 > 2022—and 10,000 Monte Carlo replications, with uncertainty injected at the reconstructed-aggregate level, confirm that the extreme ranks are invariant across all runs. The contribution is methodological and practical: a transparent, low-infrastructure pipeline that brings first-pass financial screening within reach of SMEs operating under severe data and budget constraints. Full article

Background and Objectives: Blood group antigens are well known for their importance in transfusion medicine and transplant compatibility; however, their biological role extends beyond these functions and includes associations with the risk of several diseases. In this study, we investigated the relationship between ABO blood groups and the circulating levels of 73 different molecules. Patients and Methods: Fifty-six healthy donors were enrolled, including 24 individuals with blood group O, 19 with blood group A, and 13 with blood group B. Blood samples were collected and analyzed in a single laboratory using Luminex fluorescent bead-based assay panels to determine the concentrations of 73 circulating molecules. Depending on data distribution, ANOVA or Kruskal–Wallis tests and Student’s t-test or Kolmogorov–Smirnov tests were applied to identify significant differences among groups. Associations were further assessed by binary logistic regression analysis. Results: Subjects with blood group A showed significantly higher circulating levels of IL-1R1, IL-13, IL-23, PDGF-BB, VEGF-A, VEGF-D, soluble VEGF-R2 (KDR), soluble VEGF-R3 (FLT-4), VLA-4, CD141, MMP-1, syndecan-1 (SDC-1), and mannose-binding lectin (MBL) compared with the other blood groups. In contrast, individuals with blood group B exhibited significantly higher levels of IL-22, IL-23, PDGF-BB, CD62P (P-selectin), and amyloid β1–42. Several significant associations were identified by logistic regression analysis. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that ABO blood groups are associated with distinct circulating molecular profiles, supporting the existence of biological differences that may contribute to variations in disease susceptibility among individuals with different blood types. Nevertheless, given the exploratory’s nature and limited sample size of this study, further investigations are required to validate these findings, confirm the observed associations, and clarify their potential clinical implications. Full article

This study examines the relationship between emotional intelligence and enterprise risk management maturity among risk leaders in Indonesia’s financial services sector, adopting a workplace accountability perspective to explain how leadership behavioural competencies support effective risk ownership, risk communication, and accountable risk decision-making. Drawing on survey data from 280 board-level executives holding the Qualified Risk Governance Professional credential, the study measures emotional intelligence using the Bar-On EQ-i and enterprise risk management maturity using the RIMS Risk Maturity Model. The findings reveal a strong and positive association between emotional intelligence and enterprise risk management maturity, with interpersonal competence and adaptability exhibiting the strongest associations with ERM maturity, while no significant differences are observed across job roles or organisational size. By empirically examining the association between leadership emotional capabilities and the institutionalisation of risk governance, the study contributes to global management and the literature on risk by extending enterprise risk management research beyond technical frameworks and compliance models, particularly within emerging market contexts. The results suggest that emotional intelligence may represent a transferable governance capability that is relevant to organisations operating in complex, uncertain, and globally interconnected environments. Practically, the study suggests that emotional intelligence development may represent a useful complement to leadership and risk capability programmes aimed at supporting risk culture, cross-functional engagement, and accountability. Full article

In this study, manual welding electrodes with varying niobium (Nb) contents (0, 0.05, and 0.1 wt%) were developed for 960 MPa grade low-alloy high-strength steel, and deposited metals were produced through multilayer multipass welding. Microstructural characterization and mechanical testing were performed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and a universal testing machine to investigate the influence of Nb content and elucidate the strengthening mechanisms. The results demonstrate that under identical welding conditions, multipass thermal cycles induced a primary microstructural transformation from martensite to tempered martensite in all deposited metals, which predominantly comprised tempered martensite with minor fractions of bainite and second-phase particles. Increasing Nb content led to significant grain refinement. The second-phase particles exhibited sizes of 0.158 μm, 0.176 μm, and 0.168 μm, respectively, with volume fractions of 5.69%, 5.82%, and 5.90%. Nb addition substantially enhanced hardness and strength while causing a noticeable reduction in low-temperature impact toughness, though the values remained within acceptable limits. The deposited metal containing 0.05 wt% Nb exhibited optimal comprehensive mechanical properties, with a hardness of 386.7 HV, tensile strength of 1060 MPa, yield strength of 962 MPa, and Charpy impact energies of 41.95 J and 33.17 J at −40 °C and −60 °C, respectively. Theoretical calculations revealed that the dislocation strengthening contribution in martensite increased from 526 MPa to 600 MPa with increasing Nb content, representing the dominant strengthening mechanism, while grain refinement strengthening increased from 135.5 MPa to 157.6 MPa. Full article

Background/Objectives: The trajectory of influenza hospitalization burden from pre-COVID-19 pandemic baseline through post-pandemic recovery remains poorly characterized at the national level. This study characterized phase-stratified burden and seasonal structure, quantified racial and ethnic disparities, and assessed whether post-pandemic seasons represent anomalous departures from pre-pandemic expectations. Methods: Sixteen complete seasons of FluSurv-NET surveillance data (2009–2010 through 2024–2025; 509 observation weeks) were analyzed across pre-pandemic, disruption, and recovery phases using OLS regression with effect-size estimation, bootstrapped age-adjusted rate ratios, seasonal-trend decomposition (STL), Prophet time-series forecasting, and Isolation Forest anomaly detection. Results: Mean peak weekly hospitalization rate nearly doubled from pre-pandemic to recovery (5.1 to 11.1 per 100,000), cumulative seasonal burden increased from 46.3 to 87.0 per 100,000, and median peak timing advanced from MMWR week 9 to week 50. STL decomposition revealed a marked shift from weak pre-pandemic seasonality (Fs = 0.14) to substantially stronger annual regularity (Fs = 0.98) across three recovery seasons, with threefold amplitude increase. Non-Hispanic Black persons had rate ratios of 1.72, 2.16, and 1.99 relative to White persons across phases; American Indian and Alaska Native persons showed the highest disruption-phase ratio (2.24, 95% CI 1.90–3.53), based on two contributing seasons. A flat-growth Prophet model detected first exceedance in February 2020, outperforming a linear-growth specification on held-out validation. Isolation Forest identified 2017–2018, 2023–2024, and 2024–2025 as robust anomalies across all contamination thresholds. Conclusions: Post-COVID-19 pandemic influenza recovery is characterized by intensified and restructured seasonality, persistent racial and ethnic disparities, and anomalous burden exceeding pre-pandemic projections, identified independently by time-series forecasting and unsupervised anomaly detection. Full article

Background/Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the correlation between macular flow density (FD) as well as foveal avascular zone (FAZ) characteristics and optic disc size, quantified by Bruch’s membrane opening area (BMOA). In addition, potential differences in FD and FAZ parameters among optic disc size cohorts were evaluated. Methods: In this retrospective, single-centre study, 151 eyes from 151 healthy participants examined at the University Hospital Münster, Germany, were included. Each subject underwent macular and optic disc optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A). Rank correlation coefficients for clustered data were computed to assess associations between FD values and BMOA. Further analyses compared FD and FAZ parameters among three optic disc size groups based on their quantiles. Results: Statistical analysis revealed a significant negative correlation between FD in several macular subsectors and BMOA. When stratified by optic disc size, FD in the superficial capillary plexus (SCP) was significantly higher in eyes with the smallest discs compared with intermediate ones, and FD in the deep capillary plexus (DCP) was significantly higher in intermediate discs compared with the largest group. Additionally, both SCP and DCP showed higher absolute FD values in eyes with the smallest optic discs compared with those with the largest. No significant group differences were detected for foveal FD, FAZ area, or FAZ perimeter. Conclusions: This study contributes to normative OCT-A data by incorporating optic disc size as a variable. While FAZ parameters appeared independent of BMOA, eyes with smaller optic discs demonstrated higher FD values in both SCP and DCP. Full article

Background: Viral vectors are indispensable tools in gene therapy and neural circuit mapping, offering promising therapeutic strategies for diverse genetic diseases and advancing neuroscience research. To achieve high transduction efficiency while mitigating impurity-induced immunogenicity, the development of viral vectors with improved purity and quality is essential. However, this critical requirement is often unmet by conventional purification methods such as ultracentrifugation, which are time-consuming and frequently result in limited product purity. The pseudorabies virus (PRV) is extensively employed as a viral tool for mapping neural circuits, where improved purity contributes to enhanced accuracy of neural tracing. PRV531 is a retrograde trans-synaptic tracer modified from the PRV Bartha strain, specifically designed to facilitate the precise visualization of hierarchical neural networks. Methods: In this study, we developed a method for the concentration and purification of PRV531 by integrating hollow fiber ultrafiltration (HF) with Capto^TM Core 700 (CC700) chromatography. Initially, to concentrate the viral supernatant, a 500 kDa HF membrane was employed, maintaining a feed flow rate of 80 mL/min, a shear rate ranging from 2000 to 6000 s⁻¹, and a transmembrane pressure (TMP) between 0.5 and 1 bar. Following concentration, the virus underwent purification through CC700 chromatography, operating at linear flow rates ranging from 100 to 300 cm/h. Results: Sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) revealed distinct bands consistent with the expected sizes of major PRV structural proteins, each with molecular weights ranging from 25 kDa to 150 kDa, concurrently demonstrating a substantial reduction in host cell proteins (HCPs) contamination. The purified PRV531 achieved a high final infectious titer of 3.55 × 10⁹ PFU/mL, with an overall functional virus recovery of 8.88% from the crude supernatant to the final product. Conclusion: These data demonstrate that TFF combined with CC700 resin can efficiently purify retrograde trans-synaptic PRV tracer. Furthermore, this approach provides a promising strategy for purifying other viral-based tracers that traditionally rely on conventional centrifugation methods. Full article

Postoperative delirium (POD) is a common neurocognitive complication after cardiac surgery in elderly patients and is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Impaired cerebral autoregulation and reduced cerebrovascular reserve may contribute to POD development. Automated transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) enables non-invasive assessment of intracranial hemodynamics and may provide additional information for perioperative risk assessment. In this prospective single-center observational study, 108 patients aged >70 years scheduled for elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass were enrolled. Patients who had pre-existing neurological disease, had a pathological carotid Doppler ultrasound, underwent emergency surgery, or were unable to undergo delirium screening were excluded. Preoperative bilateral TCD of the middle cerebral arteries was performed using an automated WAKIe R3 system. POD was assessed on postoperative days 1–3 using the CAM-ICU. The primary endpoint was the occurrence of POD. Twenty-one patients were excluded, leaving 87 patients for analysis. POD occurred in 14 patients (16%). All patients who developed POD had pathological preoperative TCD findings, whereas no POD occurred among patients with normal TCD examinations. Overall, 82 patients (94%) demonstrated pathological intracranial hemodynamic findings despite normal carotid Doppler ultrasound. In multivariable Firth logistic regression adjusted for age and sex, pathological TCD findings remained associated with POD; however, interpretation was limited by the small number of outcome events and quasi-complete separation. In elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, pathological preoperative TCD findings were frequently observed and may be associated with an increased risk of postoperative delirium. The marked discrepancy between normal carotid ultrasound and abnormal intracranial hemodynamics suggests that TCD may provide complementary information regarding cerebrovascular function. Given the limited sample size and event rate, these findings should be considered exploratory and require confirmation in larger multicenter studies. Full article

Forward osmosis (FO) membranes are commonly evaluated through macroscopic observables such as water flux and reverse solute flux. However, these quantities do not necessarily reveal whether water permeation and solute leakage remain governed by the same dominant transport pathways, particularly in heterogeneous nanostructured membranes where selective nanochannels and defect-mediated pores can contribute differently to solvent and solute transport. Here, we introduce a hierarchical diagnostic framework to assess transport coherence loss in heterogeneous FO membranes. The framework comprises a baseline model (BM), an extended model (EM) including chemistry–geometry coupling through accessibility loss, and a full model (FM) incorporating selective pore-size heterogeneity. The ratio of reverse solute flux to water flux $R_J=J_s/J_w$ is used as a regime-based diagnostic descriptor of transport organisation, while its normalised form maps coherence variations across the state-space defined by structural selectivity and nanochemical state. The results show that chemistry–geometry coupling produces the first clear reorganisation of the coherence landscape, whereas pore-size heterogeneity mainly broadens the response while preserving its dominant topology. Simulations based on both Monte Carlo and experimentally derived pore-size distributions show consistent trends. Overall, the BM–EM–FM hierarchy offers an interpretable framework for describing transport coherence loss and the emergence of leakage-prone regimes in heterogeneous FO membranes. Full article

Artificial intelligence is one of the key technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and is increasingly significant for companies’ economic performance. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the foundation of economic development in most national economies, face numerous challenges and opportunities in applying artificial intelligence in business. This paper aims to examine the economic effects of applying artificial intelligence in SMEs, with a special emphasis on labor productivity, business process efficiency, and reduced operating costs. Empirical research was conducted on a sample of 228 SMEs using a questionnaire, with the data analyzed using multiple linear regression. The research results show that different applications of artificial intelligence have a statistically significant, positive impact on labor productivity and on reducing operating costs. In contrast, their impact on business process efficiency is moderate and partially limited. The operational application of artificial intelligence, such as automation and data analysis, has proven to be the most important factor in economic effects. At the same time, its application in managerial decision-making also has a significant, but somewhat weaker impact. On the other hand, the mere growth of AI applications over time does not necessarily lead to increased efficiency without targeted and concrete implementation. The paper’s results contribute to understanding the role of AI in transforming SMEs and highlight the importance of targeted investments in operational and management applications of AI. The paper provides practical implications for entrepreneurs and economic policymakers in fostering sustainable, competitive development of SMEs. Full article

Green fair-faced concrete (GFFC) is characterized by low surface porosity and small pore sizes and is widely used in architectural concrete engineering. It remains challenging to meet the appearance quality requirements of GFFC with conventional mix ratios and additives. This paper introduces double-mix defoamers and air-entraining agents into GFFC slurry to further refine the internal bubble size of GFFC slurry, optimize the surface pore structure, and thereby improve the apparent morphology of cured GFFC. The effects of double-agent doping on the slump, mechanical strength, shrinkage performance and impermeability durability of GFFC were also investigated. The results show that, compared with the baseline, after binary doping of the defoamer and air-entraining agent, the slump loss over time of GFFC slurry has been significantly reduced; the average porosity of GFFC is 0.132%, and the maximum average pore diameter is only 1.01 mm, which is decreased by 57.35% and 67.68%, respectively; the 45 day shrinkage of the GFFC doped with 3‱ defoamer and 4‱ air-entraining agent is 338 × 10⁻⁶ with a decrease of 33.98%, and the resistance to 84d chlorine ionization migration coefficient is 1.3 × 10⁻¹² m²/s with a decrease of 38.09%. These outcomes can effectively contribute to the pore refinement and apparent morphology improvement of GFFC doped with a binary defoamer and air-entraining agent. Full article