Search Results (5,920)

The functional performance and structural integrity of natural rock materials under fluctuating environmental stressors are pivotal for their advanced applications. As a non-ionizing and radiation-free technology, terahertz (THz) spectroscopy offers a safe and promising alternative for non-destructive testing (NDT), uniquely capable of being deployed in open and unshielded environments. However, limited penetration depth, exacerbated by both the dense geological matrix and the extreme sensitivity of THz waves to moisture states, has long hindered its widespread application in rock characterization. This study establishes a quantitative Terahertz Time-Domain Spectroscopy (THz-TDS) framework to characterize four lithologies under drying–wetting cycles. Exponential signal attenuation across thicknesses was quantified based on the Beer–Lambert law, with attenuation coefficients ranging from 0.15 to 0.74 per millimeter. Planar transmission imaging successfully visualizes lithologic and moisture-dependent heterogeneity: limestone exhibits a dense, homogeneous structure with stable amplitude distribution; sandstone and purple sandstone show parallel statistical trends, reflecting uniform pore networks; and granite demonstrates the most pronounced imaging contrast under varying moisture states, driven by complex grain-boundary scattering. The findings reveal that THz transmission is dictated by the synergistic effects of mineral compositions and pore structures: scattering at grain boundaries and fractures leads to significant energy dissipation, whereas clay-rich lithologies exhibit the highest sensitivity to moisture variations due to water adsorption and interfacial polarization effects. As an exploration of THz technology in the non-destructive evaluation of rock materials, these findings establish an analytical framework for the quantitative assessment of microstructure evolution. Full article

Blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea L.) is subject to environmental stressors, leading to variability in both severe fruit drop during development and fruit quality. Zinc, an essential micronutrient, is critical to sustainable fruit tree production by enhancing yield and nutritional quality. Different forms of zinc fertilizers, particularly nano-zinc versus conventional ionic zinc, exhibit marked differences in absorption efficiency and agronomic performance, thereby determining their practical efficacy. In this two-year study, we evaluated the effects of foliar-applied zinc forms, ZnO nanoparticles (30, 50, and 90 nm) and ionic zinc (ZnCl₂ and ZnSO₄), applied at the young fruit, veraison, and maturity stages on yield and fruit quality. Results showed that ZnO nanoparticles were more effective than ionic zinc at 80 mg/L. In particular, among the ZnO NP treatments, 90 nm ZnO NPs exhibited the best overall effect, significantly improving fruit quality. The 30 nm ZnO NPs treatment performed best in terms of single fruit weight, yield per plant, and fruit firmness. This study highlights the potential of nano-zinc to enhance productivity and quality in blue honeysuckle, providing a theoretical basis for selecting optimal zinc fertilizer types and particle sizes in specialty berry production, with implications for sustainable, high-quality fruit cultivation. Full article

Industry 4.0 (I4.0) is transforming industrial systems through interconnected, data-driven technologies, raising questions about how these developments affect Occupational Health and Safety (OHS). This study investigates research trends, thematic structures, and knowledge gaps at the intersection of I4.0 and OHS using a multilevel bibliometric framework applied to Scopus records published from 2011 to 2025. The analysis moves from a broad overview of the I4.0 landscape to more focused examinations of specific I4.0–OHS publications, prevention-oriented studies, and emerging-risk research. The results show that OHS has limited visibility in the general I4.0 literature and is more prominent mainly in targeted subsets, where digital sensing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and immersive technologies drive prevention-focused research. Conversely, emerging risks such as cognitive load, psychosocial stressors, and human–autonomy interaction appear in smaller, more dispersed clusters. Overall, the findings suggest that the relationship between I4.0 and OHS is unevenly developed, with established prevention mechanisms and early-stage conceptualization of new risks. Strengthening this field will require integrating human factors with digital indicators, better characterizing emerging risks, and ensuring that digital transformation supports SDG 8 by fostering safe and healthy working environments. Full article

Background/Objectives: Spaceflight presents a combination of physical and psychosocial stressors that may impact biological aging and health. Understanding how spaceflight influences molecular aging processes is essential as commercial and professional space travel continue to expand. Methods: We analyzed publicly available DNA methylation data to evaluate longitudinal changes in 10 epigenetic aging biomarkers, 6 leukocyte proportion estimates, and 109 DNA methylation-derived protein scores in two astronauts participating in Axiom Space’s AX1 17-day low Earth orbit mission. We calculated mean values for all biomarkers across three timepoints: two weeks before spaceflight (T0), 24 h after spaceflight (T1), and three months after spaceflight (T2). Using the mean values, we next calculated the fold change from baseline for all biomarkers. Because the sample size precluded statistical testing, we identified the top 5% of absolute fold changes to highlight the largest shifts across candidate biomarkers. Results: Across epigenetic clocks, MiAge showed the greatest T0–T1 decrease (−4.26-fold), and DNAmFitAge showed the greatest T0–T2 increase (2.47-fold). NK cells exhibited the largest T0–T1 change, decreasing by 49% (−0.49-fold). B cells exhibited the largest T0–T2 change, decreasing by 11% (−0.11-fold). Proteins meeting a predefined top 5% fold change from baseline criterion at both T1 and T2, included BMP1, CLEC11A, CXCL11, FAP, and LTF. Enrichment analysis indicated involvement of serine-type endopeptidase activity, molecular function activator activity, and cell aggregation pathways. Conclusions: These findings suggest that spaceflight influences methylation-derived biomarkers of aging and immunity even in short-duration missions. These results, though exploratory, contribute to emerging efforts to characterize molecular resilience and vulnerability in human spaceflight. Full article

Macrozoobenthic communities function as important bioindicators of natural and anthropogenic pressures in transitional ecosystems and contribute to ecosystem processes. Transitional systems, such as lagoons, estuaries and coastal ponds, exhibit strong physico-chemical variability, often intensified by anthropogenic pressures and climate change. Changes in macrozoobenthic communities across five Veneto Po Delta lagoons were assessed through long-term monitoring (2008–2025) conducted within the Water Framework Directive and additional monitoring activities. The macrozoobenthic communities were analysed to assess temporal variability and inter-lagoon differences in the Po Delta system; ecological indices were generally stable, but organism density showed significant interannual fluctuations, with marked declines in 2008, 2009, 2024, and 2025. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified phases of community restructuring driven by temporal shifts in species composition and relative abundance. These patterns may reflect the interacting effects of multiple stressors, including long-term anthropogenic pressures and the recent expansion of the invasive blue crab Callinectes sapidus, although causality was not assessed. Increases in water temperature and suspended solids were observed across all lagoons, potentially affecting benthic communities. Overall, this study provides an assessment of macrozoobenthic variability and a preliminary analysis of the factors that may have influenced it, highlighting patterns that warrant further investigations to elucidate the underlying mechanisms. Full article

Microalgae-based biostimulants are gaining increasing interest worldwide for promoting sustainable agriculture. The environmental risks associated with synthetic agrochemicals can be mitigated by using microalgae to enhance crop yield and quality. Cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.) is an herbaceous plant and ranks among the most popular seed spices worldwide. It is characterized by a low germination rate and poor seedling establishment, which negatively impact overall crop yield. To address these challenges, the present study investigates the potential of Chlorococcum sp. aqueous extract as a sustainable and cost-effective solution to overcome cumin seed dormancy and enhance germination. Results showed that Chlorococcum sp. exhibits a notably rapid growth rate (0.45 day⁻¹) and high biomass productivity (1.51 g/L/day). Additionally, the biochemical composition of the extract revealed a high concentration of bioactive compounds, including polyphenols (63.46%), flavonoids (29.36%), and Indole-3-acetic acid (5.38%), which make it an eco-friendly biostimulant for agricultural applications. Regarding germination, a single seed treatment with doses of 0.5 g/L and 1 g/L was efficient in achieving final germination percentages of 100% and 96.66%, respectively, and significantly increased the seedling vigor index and photosynthetic pigment content. Furthermore, these concentrations stimulated the synthesis and accumulation of key primary metabolites, including proteins and polysaccharides, while increasing phenolic and flavonoid levels compared to the control, suggesting enhanced growth and improved antioxidant defenses against environmental stressors. Overall, these findings highlight that Chlorococcum sp. aqueous extract serves as an innovative biological approach to overcoming cumin seed dormancy and enhancing germination, offering an alternative and sustainable solution to conventional synthetic fertilizers. Full article

During production, fish are exposed to multiple environmental, physiological, and physical stressors, which compromise development, productivity, and welfare and urge the implementation of effective and safe stress-mitigating strategies, particularly during early developmental stages. Larval zebrafish (Danio rerio) constitute a powerful model for studying acute stress responses due to the numerous advantages they offer, such as developmental transparency, a conserved hypothalamic–pituitary–interrenal (HPI) axis, and suitability for high-throughput screening. This review examines the potential of natural monoterpenes as stress-reducing compounds and compares their performance with conventional synthetic anesthetics. Evidence from vortex-flow stress paradigms, behavioral profiling and biochemical assays shows that acute stress in zebrafish larvae triggers metabolic disruption, behavioral hyperactivity and enzyme imbalance, with cortisol responses depending on stimulus intensity. Monoterpenes such as thymol and menthol consistently reduce stress-induced hyperactivity, support redox homeostasis and display favorable safety profiles at low doses and short exposures. Nevertheless, as research into these substances is still recent, evidence of any potential adverse effects is still limited. Although individual monoterpenes may act on different subsets of molecular targets, their multimodal mechanisms, including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)ergic enhancement, voltage-gated ion channel and transient receptor potential (TRP) modulation, suggest broader and potentially safer actions compared to single-target anesthetics as tricaine methane sulfonate (MS-222). Collectively, these findings suggest that monoterpenes offer promising natural alternatives for stress mitigation in aquaculture and the refinement of research procedures involving early life stages. Full article

The preservation of hydrobiological diversity is essential to ensuring the stability of the food chain and the sustainable development of high-Andean basins, which face increasing vulnerability to anthropogenic factors such as the construction of dams and reservoirs. In this study, multiple regression models, both linear and nonlinear, were developed to predict the Shannon–Wiener (H′) and Pielou (J′) indices of periphyton and macrobenthos using 21 water quality parameters and concentrations of nine metals in sediments. Samples of macrobenthos and periphyton were collected at seven monitoring stations during the dry and wet seasons between 2014 and 2025. For the analysis, linear regression models were compared with nonlinear machine learning models, specifically Gradient Boosting and Random Forest. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that variability of the basin’s ecosystem is dominated by geogenic factors (conductivity, boron, chlorides, and arsenic) and thermal influence. The Gradient Boosting model demonstrated superior predictive capacity (R² = 0.768 for macrobenthos) compared to linear models (R² = 0.354), successfully capturing the nonlinear responses of biota to stressors such as arsenic in sediments and temperature. It is concluded that natural chemical anomalies in the Titire River act as severe ecological filters, and that artificial intelligence shows promising results in the exploration of new applied tools for environmental management in extreme altoandine ecosystems. Full article

Urban lake ecosystems in rapidly growing cities face multiple, interlinked pressures. This article examines how these pressures are understood and addressed in research and practice by synthesising 413 academic, policy, and practitioner studies on lake degradation and restoration in the Bengaluru region, India. Using Content Configuration Analysis, we pursue four lines of inquiry: typifying dominant research approaches; mapping how major drivers—climate change, urbanisation, expanding consumption, and governance fragmentation—generate pressures; analysing sewage treatment plants (STPs) as responses that can themselves become new stressors; and comparing national restoration guidelines with locally developed strategies. Our analysis shows that lake problems are frequently framed as discrete technical issues, whereas degradation operates through recursive driver–pressure–response dynamics that cut across ecological, institutional, and social domains. The STP cases illustrate this mismatch, where mandated solutions can generate unintended pressures when institutional capability or ecological integration is weak. Comparisons between national guidelines and locally grounded practices reveal broad alignment in restoration principles but persistent gaps remain in implementation capacity, coordination, financing, and integration with land-use and urban resilience planning. Based on our analyses, we argue for reconceptualising urban lakes as complex socioecological systems rather than bounded technical units. Such a perspective supports restoration strategies that are nationally coherent yet locally attuned, strengthening ecological function, social equity, and urban resilience. More broadly, the findings contribute to debates on the restoration and governance of urban water bodies by demonstrating how national policy frameworks can be reinforced through locally grounded socioecological knowledge. Full article

Background/Objectives: Adolescent mental health problems emerge early, remain undertreated, and are shaped by diverse contextual stressors. In response to calls for more youth-centered prevention, school-based health promotion, and participatory intervention design, this study explored which mental health-related problems internationally mobile adolescents prioritize and which solution ideas they generate in a structured co-creation setting, including where movement- and sport-related elements are embedded. Methods: A qualitative, participatory study was conducted during a 24 h social hackathon embedded in the Youth Empowerment Seminar for exchange students. Hackathon materials from 43 projects were analyzed using content-structuring qualitative content analysis following Kuckartz. Results: Adolescents most frequently framed problems in terms of self-image, stress and anxiety, belonging, and harassment. Solutions clustered around low-threshold group formats, while implementation segments focused strongly on staffing, funding, barriers, and feasibility. Cross-domain analyses suggested recurring problem-solution matches, such as loneliness with hobby or interest groups. Conclusions: Social hackathons can surface adolescent-prioritized mental health concerns and translate them into context-sensitive prevention ideas. The findings mainly point to social and psychosocial solution pathways, while some proposals additionally positioned shared activity or movement contexts as potentially supportive for well-being. These results provide a starting point for subsequent school-based prototyping and feasibility work. Full article

Fear of crime (FOC) has been shown to be associated with negative physical and mental health effects, and older adults have been identified as a vulnerable group. As an individual as well as a societal problem, it is expected to increase in line with the growth of the older population. Nevertheless, the associations between FOC, life satisfaction (LS), and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) among non-victimized older adults are not well understood. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate whether levels of behavioral FOC in a sample of non-victimized older adults aged 60–93 years (mean age 69.6 years) were associated with HRQoL and LS. In this cross-sectional study a total of 5832 participants, representing both urban and rural areas, constituted the study sample. Associations between levels of behavioral FOC and LS as well as physical and mental HRQoL were examined in adjusted linear regression models. The results revealed that in those not previously exposed to violence or threats, FOC was associated with lower LS and poorer physical and mental HRQoL. When deterioration in HRQoL and LS in non-victimized older adults is discussed in a clinical setting, the possible link to FOC as an often unprovoked social stressor should be considered. Full article

Aging is the primary biological driver of progressive cellular dysfunction and a major risk factor for disease development. The lungs and kidneys are highly vulnerable to cellular damage during aging due to their continuous exposure to environmental and metabolic stressors. Increasing evidence supports the existence of a bidirectional communication axis between the lungs and kidneys. In this review, we propose an integrative mechanistic framework that links alterations in cell turnover along this axis during aging. Based on the literature reviewed, we found that age-related cellular changes induce cellular senescence. Senescent cells undergo irreversible cell cycle arrest; furthermore, telomere shortening limits cell proliferation and promotes resistance to apoptosis. However, apoptosis can increase when a critical damage threshold is reached. In this context, senescent cells acquire a senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) and release circulating mediators that can transmit damage signals between the lungs and kidneys. Taken together, these processes promote a pathological feedback loop in which age-related changes in one organ can exacerbate dysfunction in another, reinforcing a bidirectional axis of damage that increases susceptibility to developing lung and kidney diseases. Full article

Autophagy and apoptosis are two evolutionarily conserved catabolic processes that play important roles in maintaining cellular homeostasis and in determining cell fate when cells are exposed to various stresses in vivo. The interaction between autophagy and apoptosis has been studied extensively in cancer research, and it has been shown to affect cancer initiation and tumor formation, disease progression, therapeutic resistance, and overall survival. Autophagy typically functions as a cytoprotective mechanism in cancer cells subjected to metabolic, hypoxic, or therapeutic stress, whereas apoptosis primarily functions as an intrinsic programmed cell death pathway. While apoptosis and autophagy function as distinct pathways, there is significant molecular crosstalk, allowing cells to modulate their behavior from survival to death depending on the severity and duration of exposure to a given stressor and the cellular environment. This review examines the molecular landscape of the autophagy–apoptosis interplay in cancers, with special attention paid to the major signaling pathways involved and their biological outcomes in oncology. We examine the molecular mechanisms and signal transduction pathways involved in the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis in cancer. In particular, we focus on several key proteins that regulate this crosstalk, including kinases, caspases, heat shock proteins and transcription factors. Furthermore, we describe the major signal transduction pathways that regulate this crosstalk, including the PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, unfolded protein response, oxidative stress, and calcium signaling pathways. Additionally, we discussed how dysregulation of these pathways contributes to cancer progression and treatment resistance. Finally, we summarized the use of currently available therapeutic agents targeting the crosstalk between autophagy and apoptosis, including FDA-approved drugs and natural products, with the potential to enhance the effectiveness of anticancer treatments. A better understanding of this complex process will allow the development of new, precision-based, combination cancer therapies. Full article

Background: Population ageing increases reliance on family caregivers (FCGs) for very old adults (80+). While caregiving is often studied as a source of burden, its impact on caregivers’ daily life and occupational balance remains underexplored. This study aimed to explore how caregiving responsibilities shape the daily lives, occupational balance, and support needs of FCGs, using the Stress Process Model (SPM) and the concept of Occupational Balance (OB). Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in the PACA region (France) within the SCOPE project. Seventeen semi-structured interviews were analysed using thematic content analysis, with independent double coding by two researchers. Results: Six themes were identified: caregiving role and identity, consequences, occupational patterns, needs, proposed actions, and barriers and facilitators. Caregiving generated both primary stressors (physical and emotional demands) and secondary stressors (role conflicts, financial strain, and social isolation). It also led to occupational imbalance, characterized by reduced leisure, diminished self-care, and reorganization of daily routines. Working FCGs reported greater role strain and time constraints, whereas retired FCGs emphasized informational needs and adaptation strategies. Across both groups, caregivers’ needs were rarely formally assessed. Conclusions: These findings highlight that caregiving for very old adults profoundly reshapes caregivers’ daily lives through both stress-related mechanisms and disruptions in occupational balance. They underscore the need for tailored, context-sensitive support strategies, including systematic needs assessment and more structured, individualized coordination approaches such as case management. Full article

The activity of an Apennine wolf (Canis lupus italicus) family inhabiting the natural reserve Calanchi di Atri in central Italy was monitored during the post-reproductive period (May–October) of two consecutive years (2023–2024), using ten camera trap sites. Detections were classified into adults and pups. Although records cover a limited period and focus on a single pack, they allowed the detection of variations in the spatiotemporal activity of the wolf family. In the first year, wolf activity peaked in summer, with adults frequently supervising pups at rendezvous sites. In the second year, activity by both adults and pups declined significantly and was accompanied by an evident shift in territory use. In addition to potential intrinsic factors, such as individual variability and litter dynamics, these variations may also reflect increased environmental stressors and anthropogenic disturbance. These findings provide insights into how wolves adapt their behavior in human-modified landscapes and highlight the importance of integrating human–wildlife dynamics into conservation and management strategies. Full article