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13 pages, 315 KiB  
Article
Attitudes Among Pediatric Gastroenterologists Toward Vaccination Based on an Anonymous Online Survey
by Elizaveta Makarova, Tatyana Gabrusskaya, Ekaterina Kharitonova, Natalia Ulanova, Natalia Volkova, Maria Revnova, Dmitri Ivanov and Mikhail Kostik
Gastrointest. Disord. 2025, 7(3), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/gidisord7030054 (registering DOI) - 23 Aug 2025
Abstract
Background: Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at heightened risk for vaccine-preventable infections because of underlying immune dysregulation and long-term immunosuppressive therapy. Despite published guidelines affirming vaccine safety, real-world coverage remains suboptimal. It is a pilot, single-country survey designed to explore [...] Read more.
Background: Children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are at heightened risk for vaccine-preventable infections because of underlying immune dysregulation and long-term immunosuppressive therapy. Despite published guidelines affirming vaccine safety, real-world coverage remains suboptimal. It is a pilot, single-country survey designed to explore baseline knowledge and practices regarding vaccination in paediatric IBD within a specific local healthcare context. Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of paediatric gastroenterologists (PGs) regarding the immunisation of children with IBD. Methods: We conducted an exploratory pilot, cross-sectional survey of paediatric gastroenterologists in Russia, focusing on immunisation knowledge and practical barriers in routine care. A cross-sectional, anonymous online survey was distributed to PGs nationwide between January 2022 and April 2022. The online questionnaire explored demographic characteristics, awareness of international recommendations, perceptions of vaccine safety at various disease and treatment stages, and routine vaccination practices. Responses were analysed with non-parametric statistics (α = 0.05). In a parallel prospective cohort, the vaccination certificates of 98 paediatric IBD patients (January 2022–April 2023) were audited to quantify real-world coverage. Results: Fifty-one PGs completed the survey. Forty-one per cent agreed that vaccines do not provoke IBD flares, while 17.6% considered live vaccines acceptable during immunosuppressive remission. Nearly one-third (32%) did not personally oversee immunisation, and 18% occasionally discouraged vaccination during therapy. Only 35.3% deemed baseline serology essential before starting immunosuppression; 46.5% supported antibody checks immediately prior to vaccination. The certificate audit revealed a full schedule completion rate of 66.3% for measles–mumps–rubella and 74.2% for hepatitis B, contrasting with parental reports of 82.3% complete coverage. Conclusions: Knowledge gaps, limited guideline awareness, and parental concerns contribute to suboptimal vaccination of paediatric IBD patients. Targeted educational initiatives, clearer shared-care pathways, and routine certificate audits are needed to close the coverage gap and reduce infection-related morbidity. Findings are hypothesis-generating and reflect local practice; as a pilot study, results should be interpreted with caution and may not generalise beyond similar settings. Full article
21 pages, 3604 KiB  
Article
Study on the Morphological Development Timeline and Growth Model of Embryos and Larvae of European Catfish (Silurus glanis)
by Zhuoleaersi Adakebaike, Zhengwei Wang, Hudelati Anasi, Jiangtao He, Xuejie Zhai, Chunming Shi and Zhulan Nie
Animals 2025, 15(17), 2478; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15172478 (registering DOI) - 23 Aug 2025
Abstract
To systematically elucidate the chronological patterns of embryonic development and morphological changes in the larval and juvenile stages of Silurus glanis, and provide fundamental biological insights into this species, in this study, fertilized eggs were obtained through artificial spawning induction technology. After [...] Read more.
To systematically elucidate the chronological patterns of embryonic development and morphological changes in the larval and juvenile stages of Silurus glanis, and provide fundamental biological insights into this species, in this study, fertilized eggs were obtained through artificial spawning induction technology. After removing adhesiveness from fertilized eggs using trypsin, a detailed developmental study was conducted. The study systematically analyzed the chronological sequence of embryonic development and the morphological change patterns of larval and juvenile fish. The results showed the following: The fertilized eggs of S. glanis are yellow, spherical, and sticky, and the stickiness allows eggs to attach to spawning substrates, enhancing hatching success. The egg diameter after water absorption was (2.88 ± 0.13) mm. The embryonic development took 47 h and 55 min, with a total accumulated temperature of 1245.56 h degrees Celsius, the developmental process includes seven stages and twenty-six periods, namely the zygophase stage, cleavage stage, blastula stage, gastrula stage, neurula stage, organogenesis stage, and hatching stage. At a temperature of (26.0 ± 0.9) °C, the hatched individuals went through the pre-yolk sac larval stage, late larval stage, juvenile fry stage, and juvenile stage. In the pre-yolk sac larval stage, otoliths appeared in the bilateral otic vesicles, a pair of barbel primordia emerged under the mandible, a short and thin straight intestine formed in the abdominal cavity, and the oral fissure first appeared. In the late larval stage, the fin rays were initially formed, the intestine became thicker and longer, the oral fissure, anus, and cloaca were formed, and the larvae could float and start feeding on exogenous food. In the juvenile fry stage, the differentiation of various organs was basically complete, the nostrils became larger, and both the anal fin and caudal fin had dark black markings. In the juvenile stage, the maxillary barbels elongated, the mucus layer thickened on the body and back, the abdomen is light white, and it had the external morphological characteristics of an adult fish. By measuring and calculating the total length, body length, body height, and head length of S. glanis larvae and juveniles (0–40 days), the results showed that the growth characteristics conformed to the following fish growth formula: TL = 0.0141x2 + 0.8096x + 8.2421 (R2 = 0.9916), where x denotes days after hatching. This study has preliminarily mastered the chronological patterns of the embryonic development, growth, and formation of the morphological characteristics in larval and juvenile S. glanis, providing scientific data and laying a theoretical foundation for the division of early developmental stages, reproduction, hatching, and fry cultivation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Early Development and Growth of Fishes: 2nd Edition)
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14 pages, 2144 KiB  
Article
Analogs of the Prime Number Problem in a Shot Noise Suppression of the Soft-Reset Process
by Yutaka Hirose
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(17), 1297; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15171297 - 22 Aug 2025
Abstract
The soft-reset process, or a sequence of charge emissions from a floating storage node through a transistor biased in a subthreshold bias condition, is modeled by a master (Kolmogorov–Bateman) equation. The Coulomb interaction energy after each one-charge emission leads to a stepwise potential [...] Read more.
The soft-reset process, or a sequence of charge emissions from a floating storage node through a transistor biased in a subthreshold bias condition, is modeled by a master (Kolmogorov–Bateman) equation. The Coulomb interaction energy after each one-charge emission leads to a stepwise potential increase, giving correlated emission rates represented by Boltzmann factors. The governing probability distribution function is a hypoexponential type, and its cumulants describe characteristics of the single-charge Coulomb interaction at room temperature on a mesoscopic scale. The cumulants are further extended into a complex domain. Starting from three fundamental assumptions, i.e., the generation of non-degenerated states due to single-charge Coulomb energy, the Markovian property of each emission event, and the independence of each state, a moment function is identified as a product of mutually prime elements (algebraically termed as prime ideals) comprising the eigenvalues or the lifetimes of the emission states. Then, the algebraic structure of the moment function is found to be highly analogous to that of an integer uniquely factored into prime numbers. Treating the lifetimes as analogs of the prime numbers, two types of zeta functions are constructed. Standard analyses of the zeta functions analogous to the prime number problem or the Riemann Hypothesis are performed. For the zeta functions, the analyticity and poles are specified, and the functional equations are derived. Also, the zeta functions are found to be equivalent to the analytic extension of the cumulants. Finally, between the number of emitted charges and the lifetime, a logarithmic relation analogous to the prime number theorem is derived. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Interaction of Electron Phenomena on the Mesoscopic Scale)
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19 pages, 706 KiB  
Review
Simulation and Prediction of Soil–Groundwater Pollution: Current Status and Challenges
by Chengyu Zhang, Xiaojuan Qiao, Xinyu Chai and Wenjin Yu
Water 2025, 17(17), 2500; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17172500 - 22 Aug 2025
Abstract
Soil–groundwater pollution is a complex environmental phenomenon formed by the coupling of multiple processes. Due to the concealment of pollution, the persistence of harm, and the complexity of the system, soil–groundwater pollution has become a major environmental issue of increasing concern. The simulation [...] Read more.
Soil–groundwater pollution is a complex environmental phenomenon formed by the coupling of multiple processes. Due to the concealment of pollution, the persistence of harm, and the complexity of the system, soil–groundwater pollution has become a major environmental issue of increasing concern. The simulation and prediction of different types of models, different pollutants, and different scales in soil and groundwater have always been the research hotspots for pollution prevention and control. Starting from the mathematical mechanism of pollutant transport in soil and groundwater, this study reviews the method models represented by empirical models, analytical models, statistical models, numerical models, and machine learning, and expounds the characteristics and applications of the various representative models. Our Web of Science analysis (2015–2025) identifies 3425 relevant studies on soil–groundwater pollution models. Statistical models dominated (n = 1155), followed by numerical models (n = 878) and machine learning (n = 703). Soil pollution studies (n = 1919) outnumber groundwater research (n = 1506), with statistical models being most prevalent for soil and equally common as numerical models for groundwater. Then this study summarizes the research status of soil–groundwater pollution simulation and prediction at the level of multi-scale numerical simulation and the pollutant transport mechanism. It also discusses the development trend of artificial intelligence innovation applications such as machine learning in soil–groundwater pollution, looks forward to the challenges and measures to cope with them, and proposes to systematically respond to core challenges in soil and groundwater pollution simulation and remediation through new technology development, multi-scale and multi-interface coupling, intelligent optimization algorithms, and pollution control collaborative optimization methods for pollution management, so as to provide references for the future simulation, prediction, and remediation of soil–groundwater pollution. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Advances in Hydrogeological Research)
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18 pages, 5104 KiB  
Article
Analysis of the Effectiveness Mechanism and Research on Key Influencing Factors of High-Pressure Water Injection in Low-Permeability Reservoirs
by Yang Li, Hualei Xu, Shanshan Fu, Hongtao Zhao, Ziqi Chen, Xuejing Bai, Jianyu Li, Chunhong Xiu, Lianshe Zhang and Jie Wang
Processes 2025, 13(8), 2664; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13082664 - 21 Aug 2025
Abstract
Low-permeability oil reservoirs, due to their weak seepage capacity and high start-up pressure, have limited yield-increasing effects through conventional water injection development methods. High-pressure water injection can significantly change the seepage environment around the well and within the reservoir, expand the effective swept [...] Read more.
Low-permeability oil reservoirs, due to their weak seepage capacity and high start-up pressure, have limited yield-increasing effects through conventional water injection development methods. High-pressure water injection can significantly change the seepage environment around the well and within the reservoir, expand the effective swept volume of injected water, and thereby greatly enhance the oil recovery rate of water flooding. However, there is still a relative lack of research on the mechanism of high-pressure water injection stimulation and its influencing factors. This paper systematically analyzes the effectiveness mechanism of high-pressure water injection technology in the exploitation of low-permeability reservoirs. The internal mechanism of high-pressure water injection for effective fluid drive and production increase is explained from the aspects of low-permeability reservoir seepage characteristics, capacity expansion and permeability enhancement by high-pressure water injection, and the dynamic induction of micro-fractures. Based on geological and engineering factors, the main factors affecting the efficiency enhancement of high-pressure water injection are studied, including formation deficit, reservoir heterogeneity, dominant channel development and fracturing stimulation measures, injection displacement and micro-fractures, etc. The results of numerical simulation showed the following: (1) formation depletion, reservoir heterogeneity, and the formation of dominant channels significantly affected the effect of water flooding development and (2) engineering factors such as the fracture direction of hydraulic fracturing, water injection rate, and the development of micro-fractures under high-pressure water injection directly determined the propagation path of reservoir pressure, the breakthrough speed of the water drive front, and the ultimate recovery factor. Therefore, during the actual development process, the construction design parameters of high-pressure water injection should be reasonably determined based on the geological reservoir conditions to maximize the oil production increase effect of high-pressure water injection. This study can successfully provide theoretical guidance and practical support for the development of low-permeability oil reservoirs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Recent Advances in Hydrocarbon Production Processes from Geoenergy)
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22 pages, 2175 KiB  
Article
Probiotic Yeast and How to Use Them—Combining Traditions and New Waves in Fermented Beverages
by Adam Staniszewski, Patrycja Staniszewska, Elwira Komoń-Janczara and Monika Kordowska-Wiater
Foods 2025, 14(16), 2921; https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14162921 - 21 Aug 2025
Abstract
Potentially probiotic yeasts isolated from foodstuffs can be used as components in functional fermented beverages. To date, there have been no reports on the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii, Pichia kudriavzevii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, or Hanseniaspora uvarum isolates in the [...] Read more.
Potentially probiotic yeasts isolated from foodstuffs can be used as components in functional fermented beverages. To date, there have been no reports on the use of Saccharomyces cerevisiae var. boulardii, Pichia kudriavzevii, Metschnikowia pulcherrima, or Hanseniaspora uvarum isolates in the production of a traditional Polish beverage called underbeer (podpiwek). The aim of the study was to determine the usefulness of six isolates of the above-mentioned species as starter cultures for the fermentation of underbeer. First, the important characteristics of the yeasts, like ethanol tolerance and H2S production, were examined. In the next stage, the wort was fermented by the tested yeasts, and cell viability, fermentation vigor, sugar assimilation, and production of metabolites, as well as properties of the beverage (pH, titratable acidity, color, and turbidity), were determined. Saccharomyces yeasts tolerated the addition of ethanol up to 16% (v/v), while Pichia, Metschnikowia, and Hanseniaspora tolerated up to 10% (v/v) ethanol, and all except H. uvarum produced H2S. The yeasts remained viable in the beverages for 1 month at the required level, utilized glucose, fructose and partially complex carbohydrates, and produced ethanol (S. cerevisiae, P. kudriavzevii, and M. pulcherrima) and organic acids such as tartaric, malic, and citric acid. The underbeers became sour and showed varying turbidity and a color corresponding to pale-amber beers. All tested strains produced fermented beverages that were low- or non-alcoholic with different properties. This experiment may be a starting point for research into regional products as probiotic or synbiotic foods; however, further research is required for selection of the best strains for underbeer fermentation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Drinks and Liquid Nutrition)
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32 pages, 2273 KiB  
Article
Improving the Reliability of the Protection of Electric Transport Networks
by Boris V. Malozyomov, Evgeniy V. Khekert, Nikita V. Martyushev, Vladimir Yu. Konyukhov, Valentina V. Chetverikova, Vladimir I. Golik and Vadim S. Tynchenko
World Electr. Veh. J. 2025, 16(8), 477; https://doi.org/10.3390/wevj16080477 - 20 Aug 2025
Viewed by 179
Abstract
In traction networks of mining enterprises, ensuring selective and sensitive protection remains an urgent task, especially in conditions of frequent starts of electric transport and possible cases of short circuits, lack of reliable grounding and increased spreading resistance. Standard methods—maximum current protection (MCP) [...] Read more.
In traction networks of mining enterprises, ensuring selective and sensitive protection remains an urgent task, especially in conditions of frequent starts of electric transport and possible cases of short circuits, lack of reliable grounding and increased spreading resistance. Standard methods—maximum current protection (MCP) and differential current protection (DCP)—demonstrate limited efficiency at operating currents less than 800 A, which is typical for remote sections of the contact network. The objective of this study is to develop and experimentally verify a method for adjusting the parameters of current and impulse protection, ensuring reliable shutdown of accidents at low values of short-circuit current without the need to replace equipment. The proposed method is based on transient processes modeled using differential equations and the introduction of a dynamic sensitivity coefficient reflecting the dependence of the setting on the circuit time constant. Universal response characteristics were constructed in normalized coordinates for BAT-49 and VAB-43 switches and RDSh-I and RDSh-II relays. Experiments have confirmed that the application of the method allows for reducing the tripping threshold to 600–650 A, increasing the selectivity of protection to 95% and reducing the probability of false tripping by more than two times compared to MCP/DCP. The response time remained within 35–45 ms, which meets the requirements for high-speed systems. The developed method is adapted to different network sections using the relative coordinates of the energy consumer on the supply section of the traction network and does not require complex digital equipment. This makes it especially effective in field conditions, where it is impossible to upgrade the protection using intelligent adaptive systems. Full article
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22 pages, 11653 KiB  
Article
Delineating Forest Canopy Phenology: Insights from Long-Term Phenocam Observations in North America
by Chung-Te Chang, Jyh-Min Chiang and Cho-Ying Huang
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(16), 2893; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17162893 - 20 Aug 2025
Viewed by 333
Abstract
This study utilized the North American PhenoCam network to evaluate phenological characteristics and their relationships with geographic and climatic factors across deciduous broadleaf (n = 39) and evergreen needleleaf (n = 13) forests over the past decade. Using high temporal resolution [...] Read more.
This study utilized the North American PhenoCam network to evaluate phenological characteristics and their relationships with geographic and climatic factors across deciduous broadleaf (n = 39) and evergreen needleleaf (n = 13) forests over the past decade. Using high temporal resolution near-surface imagery, key phenological indicators including the start, end, and length of growing season were derived and analyzed using linear regression and structural equation modeling. The results revealed substantial spatial variation; the evergreen needleleaf sites exhibited earlier starts to the growing season (112 vs. 130 Julian date), later ends to the growing season (286 vs. 264 Julian date), and longer lengths for the growing season (172 vs. 131 days) compared with the deciduous broadleaf sites. Latitude was significantly related to the start of the growing season and the length of the growing season at the deciduous broadleaf sites (R2 = 0.28–0.41, p < 0.01), while these relationships were weaker at the evergreen needleleaf sites, and elevation had mixed effects. The mean annual temperature strongly influenced the phenology for both forest types (R2 = 0.18–0.76, p < 0.01), whereas longitude, distance to the coast, and precipitation had negligible effects. Temporal trends in the phenological indicators were sporadic across both the deciduous broadleaf and evergreen needleleaf sites. Structural equation modeling revealed distinct causal pathways for each forest type, highlighting complex interactions among the geographical and climatic variables. At the deciduous broadleaf sites, geographical factors (latitude, elevation, and distance to the nearest coast) predominated the mean annual temperature, which in turn significantly affected phenological development (χ2 = 2.171, p = 0.975). At the evergreen needleleaf sites, geographical variables had more complex effects on the climatic factors, start of the growing season, and end of the growing season, with the end of the growing season emerging as the primary determinant of growing season length (χ2 = 0.486, p = 0.784). The PhenoCam network provides valuable fine-scale phenological dynamics, offering great insights for forest management, biodiversity conservation, and understanding carbon cycling under climate change. Full article
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14 pages, 1966 KiB  
Article
Pre-Silicon Accurate SPICE Modeling of Trench MOSFETs via Advanced TCAD Simulations and Dynamic Validation
by Ammar Tariq, Giovanni Minardi, Valeria Cinnera Martino, Enza Fazio, Salvatore Rinaudo, Giuseppe Privitera, Fortunato Neri and Carmelo Corsaro
Micromachines 2025, 16(8), 955; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi16080955 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 143
Abstract
This work presents a novel and fully virtual flow for extracting the SPICE model of a power MOSFET, starting exclusively from TCAD simulations. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on experimental silicon data, our methodology enables designers to optimize the device performance and extract [...] Read more.
This work presents a novel and fully virtual flow for extracting the SPICE model of a power MOSFET, starting exclusively from TCAD simulations. Unlike traditional approaches that rely on experimental silicon data, our methodology enables designers to optimize the device performance and extract accurate electrical parameters before any physical prototyping is required. By leveraging advanced TCAD tools, we generate a realistic device structure and obtain all the key electrical characteristics, which are then used for precise SPICE model extraction and macromodel integration. The extracted model is dynamically validated using a gate-charge test performed identically in both the TCAD and SPICE environments, demonstrating excellent agreement with less than a 2% error in the charge quantities, Qgs and Qgd. This approach proves that initial silicon prototyping can be confidently bypassed, and it is highly innovative because it enables designers to achieve highly faithful device simulations before hardware fabrication. This significantly reduces the need for costly and time-consuming prototyping and design re-spins, accelerating the development process while enhancing the accuracy in terms of the transient and dynamic characteristics of MOSFETs designed for specific applications; in our case, for an e-fuse to be integrated into a more complex system. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Power Semiconductor Devices and Applications, 3rd Edition)
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21 pages, 9001 KiB  
Article
Research on the Energy Distribution of Hump Characteristics Under Pump Mode in a Pumped Storage Unit Based on Entropy Generation Theory
by Yunrui Fang, Jianyong Hu, Bin Liu, Puxi Li, Feng Xie, Xiujun Hu, Jingyuan Cui and Runlong Zhang
Water 2025, 17(16), 2458; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17162458 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 140
Abstract
To alleviate the pressure on grid regulation and ensure grid safety, pumped storage power stations need to frequently start and stop and change operating conditions, leading to the pump-turbine easily entering the hump characteristic zone, causing flow oscillation within the unit and significant [...] Read more.
To alleviate the pressure on grid regulation and ensure grid safety, pumped storage power stations need to frequently start and stop and change operating conditions, leading to the pump-turbine easily entering the hump characteristic zone, causing flow oscillation within the unit and significant changes in its input power, resulting in increased vibration and grid connection failure. The spatial distribution of energy losses and the hydrodynamic flow features within the hump zone of a pump-turbine under pumped storage operation are the focus of the study. The SST k-ω turbulence model is applied in CFD simulations of the pump-turbine within this work, focusing on the unstable operating range of the positive slope, with model testing providing experimental support. The model test method combines numerical simulation with experimental verification. The LEPR method is used to quantitatively investigate the unstable phenomenon in the hump zone, and the distribution law of energy loss is discussed. The results show that, at operating points in the hump zone, up to 72–86% of the energy dissipation is attributed to the runner, the guide vane passage, and the double vane row assembly within the guide vane system. The flow separation in the runner’s bladeless area evolves into a vortex group, leading to an increase in runner energy loss. With decreasing flow rate, the impact and separation of the water flow intensify the energy dissipation. The high-speed gradient change and dynamic–static interference in the bladeless area cause high energy loss in the double vane row area, and energy loss mainly occurs near the bottom ring. In the hump operation zone, the interaction between adverse flows such as vortices and recirculation and the passage walls directly drive the sharp rise in energy dissipation. Full article
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15 pages, 1674 KiB  
Article
Characterization of Litter and Topsoil Under Different Vegetation Cover by Using a Chemometric Approach
by Fulvia Tambone, Anna Masseroli, Paolo Beccarelli, Luca Breno, Marco Zuccolo, Gigliola Borgonovo, Stefania Mazzini, Alex Golinelli and Barbara Scaglia
Forests 2025, 16(8), 1349; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16081349 - 19 Aug 2025
Viewed by 162
Abstract
Leaf litter conservation practices in forests can contribute to increasing CO2 storage in natural soils as organic matter; however, this process depends on the type of vegetation cover. This study, using different approaches, aimed to assess this process starting from the characteristics [...] Read more.
Leaf litter conservation practices in forests can contribute to increasing CO2 storage in natural soils as organic matter; however, this process depends on the type of vegetation cover. This study, using different approaches, aimed to assess this process starting from the characteristics of three different types of litters and topsoil (0–5 cm depth) originating from chestnut, beech, and pine in various forest locations within the territory of Edolo (Camonica Valley, Central Italian Alps). Both labile (DOM) and recalcitrant (ROM) organic matter fractions were considered. Microbial degradation activity was strongly influenced by DOM (DOM vs. Respiration mg CO2 g−1 dry matter: r = 0.96), and NMR spectroscopy showed that aromatic C and polymethylene C in long-chain aliphatic structures (e.g., lipids, cutin) became more evident from litters to topsoils due to a concentration effect. Finally, chemometric elaboration of quantitative and qualitative data identified two principal component (PC) profiles, explaining 88% of the total variance, in which litter and the topsoil samples were spatially separated, indicating that significant changes occurred during the decomposition process. An Evolution Index (EI) calculated highlighted greater changes for chestnut (0.90) followed by pine (0.60) and beech (0.48), in agreement with chemical (degradation rates of 14.21%, 49.11%, and 48% for beech, chestnut, and pine litter, respectively) and spectroscopic data. Beech litter appears to be more efficient at conserving organic carbon. These findings underscore the importance of understanding litter characteristics for forest management, suggesting which species are most effective in promoting soil carbon storage. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Forest Soil)
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30 pages, 8981 KiB  
Article
Vibration Transmission Characteristics of Bistable Nonlinear Acoustic Metamaterials Based on Effective Negative Mass
by Ming Gao, Guodong Shang, Jing Guo, Lingfeng Xu and Guiju Fan
Nanomaterials 2025, 15(16), 1269; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano15161269 - 17 Aug 2025
Viewed by 196
Abstract
The growing demand for low-frequency, broadband vibration and noise suppression technologies in next-generation mechanical equipment has become increasingly urgent. Effective negative mass locally resonant structures represent one of the most paradigmatic classes of acoustic metamaterials. Their unique elastic wave bandgaps enable efficient suppression [...] Read more.
The growing demand for low-frequency, broadband vibration and noise suppression technologies in next-generation mechanical equipment has become increasingly urgent. Effective negative mass locally resonant structures represent one of the most paradigmatic classes of acoustic metamaterials. Their unique elastic wave bandgaps enable efficient suppression of low-frequency vibrations, while inherent nonlinear effects provide significant potential for the design and tunability of these bandgaps. To achieve ultra-low-frequency and ultra-broadband vibration attenuation, this study employs Duffing oscillators exhibiting negative-stiffness characteristics as structural elements, establishing a bistable nonlinear acoustic-metamaterial mechanical model. Subsequently, based on the effective negative mass local resonance theory, the perturbation solution for the dispersion curves is derived using the perturbation method. Finally, the effects of mass ratio, stiffness ratio, and nonlinear term on the starting and cutoff frequencies of the bandgap are analyzed, and key geometric parameters influencing the design of ultra-low vibration reduction bandgaps are comprehensively investigated. Subsequently, the influence of external excitation amplitude and the nonlinear term on bandgap formation is analyzed using numerical computation methods. Finally, effective positive mass, negative mass, and zero-mass phenomena within distinct frequency ranges of the bandgap and passband are examined to validate the theoretically derived results. The findings demonstrate that, compared to a positive-stiffness system, the bandgap of the bistable nonlinear acoustic metamaterial incorporating negative-stiffness Duffing oscillators shifts to higher frequencies and widens by a factor of 2. The external excitation amplitude F changes the bandgap starting frequency and cutoff frequency. As F increases, the starting frequency rises while the cutoff frequency decreases, resulting in a narrowing of the bandgap width. Within the frequency range bounded by the bandgap starting frequency and cutoff frequency, the region between the resonance frequency and cutoff frequency corresponds to an effective negative mass state, whereas the region between the bandgap starting frequency and resonance frequency exhibits an effective positive mass state. Critically, the bandgap encompasses both effective positive mass and negative mass regions, wherein vibration propagation is suppressed. Concurrently, a zero-mass state emerges within this structure, with its frequency precisely coinciding with the bandgap cutoff frequency. This study provides a theoretical foundation and practical guidelines for designing nonlinear acoustic metamaterials targeting ultra-low-frequency and ultra-broadband vibration and noise mitigation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nonlinear Optics in Low-Dimensional Nanomaterials (Second Edition))
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23 pages, 11598 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Load-Bearing Rupture of Rock–Coal Assemblages with Different Height Ratios and Multivariate Energy Spatiotemporal Evolution Laws
by Bo Wang, Guilin Wu, Guorui Feng, Zhuocheng Yu and Yingshi Gu
Processes 2025, 13(8), 2588; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13082588 - 15 Aug 2025
Viewed by 386
Abstract
The destabilizing damage of rock structures in coal beds engineering is greatly influenced by the bearing rupture features and energy evolution laws of rock–coal assemblages with varying height ratios. In this study, we used PFC3D to create rock–coal assemblages with rock–coal height ratios [...] Read more.
The destabilizing damage of rock structures in coal beds engineering is greatly influenced by the bearing rupture features and energy evolution laws of rock–coal assemblages with varying height ratios. In this study, we used PFC3D to create rock–coal assemblages with rock–coal height ratios of 2:8, 4:6, 6:4, and 8:2. Uniaxial compression simulation was then performed, revealing the expansion properties and damage crack dispersion pattern at various bearing phases. The dispersion and migration law of cemented strain energy zoning; the size and location of the destructive energy level and its spatiotemporal evolution characteristics; and the impact of height ratio on the load-bearing characteristics, crack extension, and evolution of multiple energies (strain, destructive, and kinetic energies) were all clarified with the aid of a self-developed destructive energy and strain energy capture and tracking Fish program. The findings indicate that the assemblage’s elasticity modulus and compressive strength slightly increase as the height ratio increases, that the assemblage’s cracks begin in the coal body, and that the number of crack bands inside the coal body increases as the height ratio increases. Also, the phenomenon of crack bands penetrating the rock through the interface between the coal and rock becomes increasingly apparent. The total number of cracks, including both tensile and shear cracks, decreases as the height ratio increases. Among these, tensile cracks are consistently more abundant than shear cracks, and the proportion between the two types remains relatively stable regardless of changes in the height ratio. The acoustic emission ringing counts of the assemblage were not synchronized with the development of bearing stress, and the ringing counts started to increase from the yield stage and reached a peak at the damage stage (0.8σc) after the peak of bearing stress. The larger the rock–coal height ratio, the smaller the peak and the earlier the timing of its appearance. The main body of strain energy accumulation was transferred from the coal body to the rock body when the height ratio exceeded 1.5. The peak values of the assemblage’s strain energy, destructive energy, and kinetic energy curves decreased as the height ratio increased, particularly the energy amplitude of the largest destructive energy event. In order to prevent and mitigate engineering disasters during deep mining of coal resources, the research findings could serve as a helpful reference for the destabilizing properties of rock–coal assemblages. Full article
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13 pages, 2834 KiB  
Article
Simulation-Based Investigation of the Effectiveness of Fire Suppression Techniques for Residential Furnishing
by Wenqi Song, Qing He, Qingyu Tan and Guorui Zhu
Fire 2025, 8(8), 327; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire8080327 - 15 Aug 2025
Viewed by 421
Abstract
This study proposes an equivalent furniture fire model based on standard combustible assembly and verifies its feasibility as a substitute for real furniture through full-scale experiments and numerical simulations. Experiments show that the peak heat release rate and total heat release of the [...] Read more.
This study proposes an equivalent furniture fire model based on standard combustible assembly and verifies its feasibility as a substitute for real furniture through full-scale experiments and numerical simulations. Experiments show that the peak heat release rate and total heat release of the standard combustible assembly are highly consistent with those of the single-seat sofa. The numerical model has been verified by experimental data. The dynamic characteristics of the heat release rate (HRR) curve are consistent with the temperature evolution process, confirming its reliability for the numerical model. The research on optimizing fire extinguishing parameters is carried out based on this numerical simulation. The results show that the response time of the horizontal sprinkler is 22 s shorter than that of the vertical sprinkler, and the fire extinguishing efficiency is improved. Reducing the sprinkler height to 3 m can accelerate activation and reduce CO2 release. A flow rate of 91.4 L/min can effectively control the fire, but when it exceeds 150 L/min, the fire extinguishing efficiency is significantly reduced. The low response time index sprinkler starts up 88 s faster than the standard type, significantly enhancing the initial fire suppression capability. This scheme provides a safe, economical, and repeatable standardized combustible assembly for fire training and offers theoretical support for the parameter design of intelligent fire extinguishing systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Industrial Fire and Urban Fire Research: 2nd Edition)
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19 pages, 7138 KiB  
Article
Classification Algorithms for Fast Retrieval of Atmospheric Vertical Columns of CO in the Interferogram Domain
by Nejla Ećo, Sébastien Payan and Laurence Croizé
Remote Sens. 2025, 17(16), 2804; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17162804 - 13 Aug 2025
Viewed by 245
Abstract
Onboard the MetOp satellite series, Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) is a Fourier Transform spectrometer based on the Michelson interferometer. IASI acquires interferograms, which are processed to provide high-resolution atmospheric emission spectra. These spectra enable the derivation of temperature and humidity profiles, among [...] Read more.
Onboard the MetOp satellite series, Infrared Atmospheric Sounding Interferometer (IASI) is a Fourier Transform spectrometer based on the Michelson interferometer. IASI acquires interferograms, which are processed to provide high-resolution atmospheric emission spectra. These spectra enable the derivation of temperature and humidity profiles, among other parameters, with exceptional spectral resolution. In this study, we evaluate a novel, rapid retrieval approach in the interferogram domain, aiming for near-real-time (NRT) analysis of large spectral datasets anticipated from next-generation tropospheric sounders, such as MTG-IRS. The Partially Sampled Interferogram (PSI) method, applied to trace gas retrievals from IASI, has been sparsely explored. However, previous studies suggest its potential for high-accuracy retrievals of specific gases, including CO, CO2, CH4, and N2O at the resolution of a single IASI footprint. This article presents the results of a study based on retrieval in the interferogram domain. Furthermore, the optical pathway differences sensitive to the parameters of interest are studied. Interferograms are generated using a fast Fourier transform on synthetic IASI spectra. Finally, the relationship to the total column of carbon monoxide is explored using three different algorithms—from the most intuitive to a complex neural network approach. These algorithms serve as a proof of concept for interferogram classification and rapid predictions of surface temperature, as well as the abundances of H2O and CO. IASI spectra simulations were performed using the LATMOS Atmospheric Retrieval Algorithm (LARA), a robust and validated radiative transfer model based on least squares estimation. The climatological library TIGR was employed to generate IASI interferograms from LARA spectra. TIGR includes 2311 atmospheric scenarios, each characterized by temperature, water vapor, and ozone concentration profiles across a pressure grid from the surface to the top of the atmosphere. Our study focuses on CO, a critical trace gas for understanding air quality and climate forcing, which displays a characteristic absorption pattern in the 2050–2350 cm1 wavenumber range. Additionally, the study explores the potential of correlating interferogram characteristics with surface temperature and H2O content, aiming to enhance the accuracy of CO column retrievals. Starting with intuitive retrieval algorithms, we progressively increased complexity, culminating in a neural network-based algorithm. The results of the NN study demonstrate the feasibility of fast interferogram-domain retrievals, paving the way for operational applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Section Atmospheric Remote Sensing)
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