Search Results (2,711)

Understanding the development and differentiation of cardiac progenitor cells during the initial stages of embryogenesis is central to a complete understanding of vertebrate heart development. In zebrafish, cardiac specification begins during gastrulation; however, the single-cell transcriptional dynamics of initial cardiac lineage commitment remain not fully defined. In this case, we integrated single-cell RNA sequencing datasets of zebrafish embryos at 4 and 6 h post-fertilisation (hpf) to investigate early cardiac lineage specification. The unsupervised clustering of the integrated dataset identified 12 distinct cell clusters, which made it possible to identify a transcriptionally distinct population of cells characterised by the coordinated expression of transcription factors associated with cardiac development. A further subclustering of the cells expressing cardiac-associated transcription factors showed a significant level of early diversification of the cardiac progenitor group. A projection onto low-dimensional embedding revealed a structured transcriptional organisation of the cardiac subclusters, marked by the differential expression of key cardiac transcription factors, including Gata5, Gata6, Hand2, Nkx2.5, and Tbx5a. A pseudotemporal trajectory analysis uncovered a continuous developmental progression within the cardiac lineage and indicated the gene-specific dynamic regulation and temporal hierarchy of cardiac transcriptional programs. Collectively, these results indicate that zebrafish cardiac progenitors are transcriptionally diverse and acquire cardiac fate through a sustained, continuous regulatory process rather than an abrupt fate transition. This work provides an informative, high-resolution model of early cardiac lineage specification and highlights the power of single-cell transcriptomics for analysing dynamic events in vertebrate embryogenesis. Full article

Modular construction (MC) is frequently promoted as a path to circular economy (CE) outcomes in built environments, yet circular adoption and performance remain uneven. This study investigates how systemic barriers shape the implementation of circular strategies in MC. A systematic literature review combined with bibliometric mapping and systems-oriented synthesis was conducted using 124 Web of Science records published between 2011 and August 2025. Bibliographic coupling, co-citation, and keyword co-occurrence analyses were used to characterise the field’s intellectual structure, while 30 studies were selected for thematic coding and systems mapping. Ten recurrent barriers were identified and consolidated into six clusters: technical, financial, regulatory, stakeholder and organisational, quality assurance, and institutional and knowledge-based challenges. Their relative severity was assessed across four MC-relevant circular strategies: reuse, repurposing, design for disassembly, and multifunctionality. Systems mapping revealed three reinforcing feedback dynamics involving financial, stakeholder, and supply-chain pressures, knowledge and quality assurance constraints, and regulatory and design lock-in effects that stabilise conventional delivery and constrain circular implementation. Despite being underrepresented in the literature, multifunctionality emerges as a cross-cutting leverage point for enabling adaptable modular systems. The study synthesises five implementation pathways, including adaptable multifunctional design, interoperable interfaces, digital traceability, collaborative life-cycle integration, and policy alignment, and outlines systems-derived leverage points to guide future research and practice in circular modular construction. Full article

Proof-of-Work (PoW) cryptocurrency mining is conventionally characterised as an energy competition, yet this paper provides evidence that the primary competitive margin has shifted from electricity procurement to semiconductor acquisition. Using Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH)—two SHA-256 networks sharing identical hardware but differing in scale and governance—as a natural comparative setting, we apply the Autoregressive Distributed Lag (ARDL) bounds testing approach to 112 weekly observations (January 2019–March 2021). Mining reward exhibits near-unity long-run elasticity with respect to both hash rate and energy consumption (0.773–1.009), confirming miners’ price-taking behaviour. Critically, the shutdown threshold—an efficiency-based cost floor derived from ASIC hardware generations—dominates all cost-side regressors with elasticities of $-1.941$ to $-2.156$, substantially exceeding electricity price effects in both magnitude and significance. VAR analysis provides evidence consistent with a centralisation paradox: rising chip efficiency Granger-predicts increased mining pool concentration for BTC (${\chi }^2=33.64$, $p<0.001$) via a revenue-redistribution mechanism, while electricity costs carry no equivalent structural consequence. Zivot–Andrews tests confirm that China’s 2021 mining ban produced a significant transient disruption but no permanent structural break in BTC’s hash rate trajectory, consistent with the geographic mobility of capital-intensive hardware. These findings imply that standard energy-price policies address the wrong margin; effective governance of PoW sustainability requires redirecting regulatory attention toward the semiconductor supply chain—a conclusion with direct relevance to SDG 7 and SDG 13. Full article

Increasing consumer demand for natural and safe food products has led to the exploration of biocontrol alternatives to chemical preservatives, especially in the cured meat industry. The yeast Debaryomyces hansenii has emerged as a promising biocontrol candidate due to its antagonistic properties against spoilage fungi. This study assessed the impact of D. hansenii inoculation on the fungal community structure of Iberian cured pork loin using high-throughput sequencing of the ITS1 region. Ion Torrent ITS1 amplicon sequencing, QIIME2/DADA2 pipeline, and ALDEx2 differential abundance analysis were applied to this study. Pork loin samples inoculated with D. hansenii were compared to non-inoculated controls to evaluate changes in the fungal microbiome. Inoculation resulted in a marked decrease in fungal diversity and evenness, indicating strong competition by D. hansenii against native fungal populations. This effect was reflected in a significant reduction in alpha diversity in inoculated samples (Shannon, p = 0.0042; Pielou p = 0.0075; Gini–Simpson, p = 0.0081). Notably, genera associated with spoilage and mycotoxin production, particularly Aspergillus and Penicillium, were significantly reduced in inoculated samples. Simultaneously, D. hansenii became dominant, reducing other yeasts and filamentous fungi. These findings highlight the powerful competitive and biocontrol potential of D. hansenii, demonstrating its ability to improve microbial safety by potentially reducing mycotoxin-associated risks through the suppression of toxigenic genera. This is the first study to characterise the fungal community of Iberian pork loin using metabarcoding under D. hansenii inoculation. The findings confirm that the inoculation of D. hansenii can substantially reduce fungal contamination risks. Overall, the results contribute valuable insights into microbial interactions during meat curing and underscore the practical benefits of targeted starter cultures for enhancing food safety and quality. Full article

Serving as central signalling organelles and hubs of metabolism, mitochondria are essential for cellular homeostasis. Mitochondrial disease can arise from mutations to nuclear or mitochondrial DNA, which result in disruptions to normal mitochondrial function. This generates a suite of rare disorders which are multi-system and often fatal. Variable tissue distribution of mitochondria, alongside a high degree of heterogeneity in associated phenotype, has resulted in an inadequate understanding and characterisation of mitochondrial disease. Addressing this issue is therefore crucial for better clinical management and patient outcomes. Cholesterol dyshomeostasis is a potential pathological hallmark of numerous mitochondrial diseases. Cholesterol is an essential lipid and bioactive compound involved in numerous mitochondrial and cellular processes. A growing number of studies have reported perturbations to cholesterol biosynthesis, cholesterol import, and cholesterol ratios in cell and animal models and individuals with mitochondrial disease, suggesting it could be a unifying feature of these disparate and variable disorders. This review summarises the current experimental evidence for the role of cholesterol dyshomeostasis in mitochondrial disease. It will further discuss reports of statin intolerance, generally attributed to off-target action on mitochondrial structures, in the context of this evidence. Ultimately, the necessity of further integrative clinical and experimental studies exploring the potential of cholesterol dyshomeostasis as a pathological hallmark of mitochondrial disease will be highlighted. Full article

Palaeolithic engraved portable art provides a valuable record for investigating the technical aspects of Palaeolithic graphic production. In this study, we analyse an engraved portable art object from the Epigravettian sequence of Grotta Paglicci (southern Italy): a Bos primigenius mandible bearing a figurative representation interpreted as a waterbird, possibly a swan. The analysis combines 3D digital microscopy and geometric morphometrics to reconstruct the sequence of engraving gestures and to quantitatively characterise the morphological variability of the incisions. Archaeological engravings are compared with experimentally produced marks obtained using different lithic tools displaying similar trihedral active edges (burins and unretouched flakes). In addition, experimental and archaeological cut marks from the same Epigravettian context are included for comparative purposes. The results allow the reconstruction of the sequence of gestures involved in the production of the figure, revealing a structured execution comprising contour engraving, internal filling and the addition of secondary elements. Morphological and morphometric analyses show low variability among the engravings, pointing to a high degree of motor control throughout the engraving process. The predominance of U-shaped cross-sections in the archaeological sample, compared with the experimental engravings, is consistent with the use of a previously used and/or partially smoothed cutting edge. These results highlight the potential of integrated technological and morphometric approaches for investigating gestures, technical choices and operational organisation underlying the production of Upper Palaeolithic portable art. Full article

Given the increasing frequency, severity, and socioecological impacts of wildfires, there is an urgent need for robust frameworks to better characterize fire behavior and flammability patterns across ecosystems to support early warning, mitigation, and management strategies. However, flammability remains difficult to quantify and scale, as it involves multiple interacting components that are typically measured at the bench scale. This study aimed to establish empirical links between spectral information, plant traits, and flammability metrics, and to scale these relationships to satellite imagery to translate these metrics into a spatial context. We combined laboratory spectroscopy, plant trait measurements including leaf mass per area, carbon, and cellulose, and combustion experiments using a simple and reproducible burning device. In total, 84 samples were collected and analysed, allowing us to characterise how spectral signatures relate to vegetation traits and fire behaviour. Spectral indices were developed to estimate plant traits, which were subsequently used as predictors in flammability models. These models were then transferred to Environmental Mapping and Analysis Program (EnMAP) hyperspectral imagery to derive spatial estimates across eucalypt forests and grasslands of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Spectral information distinguished fuel types and captured variability of the plant traits, while these traits showed associations with combustion behaviour. Based on these links, the best-performing model predicted the rate of temperature increase, a combustibility metric, in eucalypt forests (R² = 0.70; Root Mean Square Error = 32.48 °C/s). In contrast, grassland models showed limited predictive performance, likely due to weaker relationships between plant traits and flammability metrics. Overall, this study demonstrates a practical and scalable approach for deriving flammability maps from hyperspectral and in situ data, highlighting the potential of plant-trait-based remote sensing. The resulting maps should not be interpreted as standalone fire risk products, but rather as a characterization of the structural and biochemical drivers of flammability. The main constraint of this work is the limited sample size. Future research should expand spatial and temporal coverage to better capture vegetation variability and enable the inclusion of independent validation datasets. Exploring alternative combustion protocols and testing more advanced spectral modelling approaches for trait estimation would provide additional insights. Full article

Advanced nanomaterials are becoming increasingly critical for improving the efficiency, durability, and sustainability of bioenergy systems, with applications spanning biomass conversion, catalysis, and bioelectrochemical energy generation. This systematic bibliometric and thematic review analyses Scopus-indexed literature from 2020 to 2025 to elucidate global research trends in nanomaterial characterisation and performance evaluation for bioenergy applications. Bibliometric mapping using VOSviewer version 1.6.18 reveals a rapidly growing research landscape structured around three dominant themes: nanocatalysts for biodiesel and bioethanol production, nanostructured enhancements in bioelectrochemical and anaerobic digestion systems, and surface-engineered materials for energy conversion and storage. The review highlights the pivotal role of structural and morphological characterisation techniques including SEM, TEM, AFM, and XRD in establishing structure–property–performance relationships that underpin catalytic activity, electron transfer efficiency, and system stability. Beyond short-term catalytic and electrochemical metrics, increasing attention is given to mechanical stability, durability, and long-term operational reliability, which are shown to be critical determinants of scalability. Emerging strategies such as additive manufacturing and hybrid material systems enable the integration of nanomaterials into architected, mechanically robust structures, mitigating degradation and enhancing sustained performance. A concise conceptual framework is presented to link nanomaterial classes, characterisation challenges, targeted bioenergy applications, and scalability constraints. Despite significant progress, gaps remain in standardised characterisation protocols, durability-focused testing, and life-cycle assessment. Addressing these challenges is essential for translating laboratory-scale advances into scalable, sustainable bioenergy technologies. Full article

Construction and demolition waste (CDW) constitutes the largest single waste stream in the European Union by weight, yet the EU’s circular material use rate remains low, at around 12%, indicating substantial distance from policy ambitions for circular resource use. This paper presents a systematic narrative review of the literature on circular economy integration in CDW management, with a focus on the EU context. The review pursues three objectives: (i) to critically assess the gap between reported CDW recovery performance and genuine material circularity; (ii) to systematically identify and analyse persistent barrier domains to circular economy adoption in CDW management; and (iii) to evaluate the potential of digital and governance-oriented innovations to address these barriers. The review scope is explicitly delimited to the EU regulatory and institutional context, drawing on a corpus of 42 sources identified through systematic Scopus searches. The review identifies five persistent barrier domains—legal, technical, social, behavioural, and economic—with regulatory fragmentation and secondary material devaluation as the most structurally entrenched. Apparent compliance with the 70% recovery target under Directive 2008/98/EC conceals widespread downcycling and inconsistent reporting. A decisive paradigm shift is observed in recent research, from material characterisation towards systemic circularity, digital demolition frameworks, and governance. Emerging technologies—including AI-enabled sorting, Building Information Modelling, Digital Twins, and Digital Product Passports—offer significant potential to enhance material traceability, recovery quality, and decision-making across the CDW value chain. However, technological innovation alone is insufficient, Design for Deconstruction remains an underutilised upstream strategy, and lasting progress depends on coherent regulatory frameworks, institutional coordination, and market conditions that support circular practices. Future research should therefore focus on governance mechanisms, longitudinal performance assessment, and the scalability of digitally enabled circular solutions. Full article

To ensure safety in structural design, a method to quantify the damage in thermoplastic ultrasonic single-spot-welded Single-Lap Shear (SLS) joints is needed. This paper investigates whether detailed knowledge regarding the shape of the weld is required when using the global compliance to quantify damage. A finite element model using cohesive zone elements is developed in Abaqus to simulate single-spot SLS specimens with varying weld areas, aspect ratios, and damage growth directions, covering damage levels from 0 to 90% of the initial weld area. For each configuration, the relationship between intact weld area and global compliance is evaluated, and the numerical trends are compared to previously published experimental data from similar joints. The results show that weld size and damage growth direction have negligible influence on the relationship between global compliance and weld area, and that weld shape is also insignificant as long as the aspect ratio remains within a practical range; only very elongated welds with an aspect ratio over 4.4, which are unlikely in production, deviate significantly. Global compliance can be used as a reliable indicator of damage in single-spot ultrasonic welds that is insensitive to weld shape. This enables simplified in situ damage monitoring and reduces the need for detailed geometric characterisation during mechanical testing. Full article

This study examines Responsible Decision-Making (RADM) in AI-enabled sustainability within tertiary education under conditions of uncertainty and complex interdependence. Conventional analytical approaches are limited in such settings because they typically explain behavioural relationships without adequately modelling uncertainty. To address this limitation, the study proposes an AI-driven Decision Support System (DSS) based on a hybrid probabilistic framework integrating PLS-SEM with Bayesian Network (BN) inference. The framework combines structural analysis with probabilistic reasoning in a unified, interpretable system capable of modelling conditional dependencies among decision variables. Data were collected from 713 academic leaders in tertiary education institutions in Saudi Arabia. The model examines the effects of AI-Driven Sustainable Value (AISV), Responsible AI Ease of Use (RAIU), Institutional Sustainability Support (ISS), Ethical Leadership Norms (ELN), Responsible AI Competence (RAC), and AI Risk and Hallucination Awareness (ARHA) on Responsible Decision-Making and Sustainability Impact Performance (GGIP). The results indicate that ELN and ARHA have significant positive effects on RADM, while AISV and RAIU also contribute positively to decision quality. In contrast, ISS and RAC do not demonstrate significant direct effects on RADM. However, ISS shows indirect effects through contextual and cognitive pathways. The findings further suggest that awareness of uncertainty and AI-related risks plays a more influential role in decision quality than technical competence alone. The model demonstrates strong explanatory power (R² = 0.64) and acceptable predictive capability (R² = 0.48). Bayesian inference further indicates that sustainability outcomes improve under favourable institutional and cognitive conditions. Overall, the framework provides an interpretable and scalable DSS that supports scenario-based evaluation and probabilistic decision analysis under uncertainty. The findings are specific to the institutional context examined in this study. Although the framework may have relevance to other organisational environments characterised by uncertainty and complex decision structures, no external or cross-contextual validation was conducted. Therefore, the findings should be interpreted with appropriate contextual caution. Full article

In the present study, innovative active gelatin–chitosan films enriched with blackberry (ACTIVE-BF) and sage flower (ACTIVE-SF) extracts were developed and comprehensively characterised with regard to their physicochemical, functional and environmental properties. The incorporation of phenolic compounds increased the film’s UV–Vis (ultraviolet–visible spectroscopy) absorbance, confirming the presence of chromophoric groups and the improvement of light-barrier properties. FTIR (Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy) analysis revealed hydrogen bond formation and intermolecular interactions between polyphenols and the –OH/–NH groups of the biopolymer matrix, which enhanced the structural stability of the films. Adding blackberry and sage extracts slightly increased the hydrophilicity and solubility of the films (40–48%), without significantly affecting their water vapour transmission rate (531–547 g/m²·d). The obtained films exhibited strong antioxidant activity, with FRAP (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) values ranging from 17.75 to 40.83 mM Trolox/mg, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging capacity between 42.58 and 46.88%, and metal chelating ability up to 50.82%. During the nine-day storage of salmon fillets at 4 °C, the active films effectively inhibited microbial growth (reduction of 1.5–2.1 log CFU/g) while maintaining pH stability (6.2–6.4). Respiration activity confirmed environmental safety. The developed materials represent biodegradable, multifunctional films with high potential for application as sustainable active packaging for perishable food products. Full article

This study revisits the globalisation–sustainability nexus by focusing on the divergence between formal policy commitments and realised integration. While the 2030 Agenda assumes coherence across the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), empirical evidence increasingly points to uneven progress and systemic trade-offs. We introduce the concept of the globalisation implementation gap, defined as the normalised difference between de jure commitments and de facto integration, and examine its impact on SDG performance. Using a panel dataset of 101 countries over the period of 2000–2023 (N = 2197), we construct gap indices based on the KOF Globalisation framework and estimate two-way fixed-effects models with Driscoll–Kraay standard errors. The results reveal a significant negative association between implementation gaps and overall SDG performance. However, this relationship is highly heterogeneous across goals. Larger gaps are strongly negatively associated with social outcomes, particularly poverty reduction (SDG 1), clean water and sanitation (SDG 6), and sustainable cities (SDG 11), while being positively associated with certain environmental outcomes, including responsible consumption (SDG 12) and apparent biodiversity protection (SDG 15)—the latter, however, is interpreted as associational only, given evidence of reverse causation in placebo lead-testing. Further analysis using panel threshold regression demonstrates that governance quality moderates this relationship non-linearly. Above a critical threshold of institutional quality, the magnitude of the negative gap–SDG association increases substantially, suggesting that stronger governance amplifies rather than buffers the association. In addition, Gaussian mixture clustering identifies three distinct country archetypes (Balanced, Informal, and Policy-Led Integrators). A diagnostic placebo lead test indicates that the SDG 15 association is associational rather than causal (likely reverse causation), and the result for SDG 15 is therefore reported with that caveat. Each is characterised by different gap structures and sustainability trade-offs. Overall, the findings shift the perspective from a uniform globalisation–SDG relationship to a goal-specific and governance-contingent framework. The study highlights the importance of aligning policy commitments with actual integration processes and provides policy-relevant insights for managing SDG trade-offs under conditions of globalisation. The headline gap–SDG association is conditional on the listwise sample of 101 countries with complete data and on Driscoll–Kraay variance estimation; sensitivity analyses show that the result attenuates under multiple imputation on the full 208-country panel and loses statistical significance under cluster-robust standard errors, while the political-channel decomposition and the governance threshold remain robust under both stress tests. Full article

The reliable identification of impairment relevant to safety-critical activities remains a significant challenge for public safety, motivating the exploration of unobtrusive and widely accessible sensing technologies. This study examines the viability of utilising inertial data acquired from consumer-grade smartphones to characterise gait disturbances associated with simulated visual impairment. The study simulates intoxication-related effects using alcohol-impairment goggles and does not involve the measurement of real alcohol intoxication. Two supervised experimental protocols were conducted in which participants traversed predefined walking routes under normal conditions and while wearing alcohol-impairment simulation goggles representing five manufacturer-declared blood alcohol concentration (BAC)-related goggle conditions plus a no-goggles control condition. An initial indoor trial, conducted in a structured corridor environment, yielded limited discrimination of gait dynamics due to strong spatial and visual stabilisation cues. To address this limitation, a subsequent outdoor experiment was conducted along a 100 m path lacking prominent visual reference points, resulting in motion patterns that more closely reflect unconstrained, real-world locomotion. Tri-axial accelerometer and gyroscope signals were recorded using smartphones, followed by artefact removal, segmentation, and standardisation to ensure inter-trial comparability. The resulting curated dataset comprises 290,919 multi-channel samples derived from 96 walking trials involving 16 participants and is released as an openly accessible resource to support further research in gait analysis and classification of gait alterations associated with simulated impairment. Model evaluation was performed using an 80/20 train–test split conducted within each traversal, with training and test windows originating from the same participant and walking session. Consequently, the reported results reflect within-subject performance instead of subject-independent generalisation. Multiple deep learning architectures combining convolutional feature extraction, bidirectional long short-term memory layers, and self-attention mechanisms were systematically evaluated. Using a subject-dependent evaluation protocol, the best-performing architecture achieved an accuracy of 71.4% and a weighted F1-score of 71.5% in distinguishing gait patterns associated with different levels of simulated visual impairment. The best-performing architectures yielded classification performance consistent with exploratory, low-stakes assessment of gait alterations associated with simulated visual impairment, using accelerometer data alone. These findings illustrate the feasibility of using smartphones as auxiliary tools for exploratory, low-stakes screening or educational applications and contribute a publicly released dataset and benchmark results to facilitate methodological advancement in inertial sensor-based gait impairment analysis. Full article

The objective of this study was to evaluate colour changes in cotton fibres within knitted fabric structures under different light exposure conditions and to assess the applicability of forensic analytical methods for this purpose. Fabrics of three distinct colours were exposed to two types of irradiation: natural sunlight and artificial light in a controlled climatic chamber. A multi-scale analytical approach was applied, including visual inspection and stereomicroscopy for macro-level evaluation, followed by bright-field microscopy, fluorescence microscopy, and UV–Vis microspectrophotometry for single-fibre characterisation. Visual assessment of fabrics revealed perceptible colour differences between exposed and unexposed samples, whereas stereomicroscopy did not consistently enhance the detection of these alterations. Bright-field and fluorescence microscopy showed no visually perceptible differences between fibres from exposed and unexposed fabrics of the same colour. Microspectrophotometric measurements did not reliably capture colour changes in single cotton fibres, particularly in samples exposed to natural sunlight. Furthermore, total colour difference (ΔE) values, ranging from 0.248 to 6.652, were found to be unreliable at the single-fibre level due to significant spatial variability across different measurement sites. The findings indicate that, while light exposure may induce perceptible colour alterations in cotton knitted fabrics, the forensic examination of single fibres does not necessarily reflect these macro-scale changes. From a forensic perspective, the stability of microscopic and microspectrophotometric characteristics supports reliable fibre comparison, even after post-event exposure to sunlight. Full article