Search Results (15,363)

Metabolic changes are often described as drivers of plant development even when the evidence establishes only association or a permissive requirement. This review separates biological role from causal status and evaluates claims across seven dimensions: association, necessity, localization, transport, rescue and mediation, sufficiency, and quantitative-threshold testing. We apply a when–where–how framework to four cases. Perturbations of T6P, SnRK1, and TOR support T6P-dependent kinase regulation as a mediator of lateral-root development and are consistent with a context-dependent candidate gate, but its window and threshold remain unresolved. Circadian regulation of AHA3 and SUC2 by CCA1 provides the most complete chain, combining cell-specific perturbation, transport, and rescue. The OsARF18–OsARF2–OsSUT1 pathway supports sucrose transport as a mediator of rice fertility, although receiving-cell necessity and quantitative restoration remain unresolved. H⁺-ATPase perturbations identify apoplastic pH as a proximal mediator of Arabidopsis hypocotyl and cotton-fiber elongation, with context-dependent optima rather than a shared threshold. Nutrient and redox regulation, specialized metabolism, stress, and senescence provide boundary comparisons. Causal confidence depends on claim-matched evidence for responding cells and developmental windows and, where relevant, transport routes, mechanisms, and whole-plant trade-offs. The framework can guide AI-assisted breeding by prioritizing genotype-, stage-, and tissue-specific interventions for prospective perturbation and rescue. Full article

Background: Cunninghamia lanceolata (Lamb.) Hook. (C. lanceolata) is an important timber tree species in southern China. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying adventitious root formation during cutting propagation remain largely unclear. The lack of genetic resources has hindered molecular breeding efforts in this species. Methods: In this study, transcriptome analysis was performed on the root systems of scions from elite C. lanceolata clones at 7, 30, and 60 d after cutting. Results: Approximately 69.30 Gb of clean data were obtained. De novo assembly and gene prediction yielded 43,433 protein-coding genes, of which 32,886 (75.7%) were functionally annotated. Temporal clustering and comparative functional enrichment analyses revealed a distinct temporal functional shift during adventitious root development in C. lanceolata. Early stages were dominated by metabolic processes such as pyrimidine metabolism and carbohydrate biosynthesis, whereas later stages were governed by phytohormone signal transduction. Key components of the auxin pathway, including AUX1, AFB, IAA, and SAUR, exhibited dynamic and differential expression, which may be associated with adventitious root growth. Based on the transcriptome data, we identified nine members of the PIN gene family. Both transcriptomic expression profiles and qRT-PCR validation demonstrated that these PIN genes showed divergent expression trends across developmental stages, suggesting that they may participate in rooting by regulating polar auxin transport. Conclusions: This study systematically elucidates the molecular network underlying adventitious root formation in C. lanceolata cuttings. It enriches the omics resources for conifers and provides a theoretical foundation and omics basis for molecular breeding and efficient propagation of elite C. lanceolata clones. Full article

Package-level hygrothermal simulations commonly represent drying at epoxy molding compound (EMC) surfaces using idealized boundary conditions, which may not fully capture the coupled effects of bulk moisture diffusion and surface evaporation during reflow soldering and thermal cycling. This study developed a diffusion- and evaporation-based hygrothermal mechanical model for quad-flat no-lead (QFN) packages by incorporating an evaporation boundary formulation with moisture transport parameters obtained from independent moisture absorption and desorption experiments. The mass transfer Biot number S was introduced to quantify the relative roles of bulk moisture diffusion and surface evaporation in package desorption. Comparative simulations demonstrated that S influenced surface moisture removal kinetics and moisture retention during thermal loading, resulting in variations in predicted hygrothermal stress evolution. The proposed approach provides an experimentally calibrated and physically representative treatment of desorption boundaries for reliability analysis of plastic encapsulated packages. Full article

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) remains a major kinetic bottleneck in fuel cells, metal-air batteries, and related electrochemical devices. Perovskite oxides are attractive ORR catalysts due to the ABO₃ lattice, which permits systematic control of transition-metal electronic structure, metal–oxygen covalency, and defect chemistry. This review compares low-temperature electrocatalytic ORR, including the 2e⁻ and 4e⁻ pathways, with high-temperature cathodic ORR in mixed ionic–electronic conductors, where oxygen adsorption, charge transfer, O=O bond cleavage, oxygen incorporation, and bulk transport are interlinked. The main optimization strategies, including A-site and B-site doping, defect engineering, nanostructuring, heterostructure/composite formation, and mechanisms, are discussed. Particular attention is given to the distinct requirements of fuel cells and metal-air batteries. Across these systems, perovskite ORR performance is governed by the joint evolution of surface chemistry, defect structure, and electrode architecture under operating conditions. Full article

Cyanobacteria are promising platforms for bioenergy, carbon sequestration, and bioproduct synthesis, but their photosynthetic efficiency is limited by suboptimal light utilization, electron transport constraints, and environmental stress. Titanium dioxide nanoparticles (n-TiO₂) have emerged as powerful photocatalytic materials that can enhance light absorption, modulate electron transport, and influence the redox balance in biological systems. This review advances the concept of photocatalytic-biological coupling, in which n-TiO₂ functions as artificial light amplifiers that augment cyanobacterial photosynthesis. Current evidence on the physicochemical properties of n-TiO₂, their interactions with cyanobacterial cells, and their effects on photosystems, electron transport chains, and downstream metabolic processes is examined. Particular emphasis is placed on the integration of photophysical and biological mechanisms, including reactive oxygen species (ROS)-mediated signaling, proton motive force (PMF) enhancement, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. Emerging approaches, including nano–bio interface engineering, environmental biotechnology applications, and artificial intelligence-guided optimization, are highlighted. By bridging photophysics, cellular bioenergetics, and computational design within a unified mechanistic framework, this review establishes the scientific foundation needed to translate photocatalytic–biological coupling into scalable and biotechnologically deployable nano-enabled photosynthetic systems. Full article

Vision impairment affects approximately 2.2 billion people worldwide, with glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, fungal keratitis, and diabetic retinopathy among the leading causes of preventable blindness. Effective pharmacotherapy remains severely constrained by the eye’s multilayered barrier architecture. Tear film, the corneal epithelium, the blood–aqueous barrier, and the blood–retinal barrier collectively restrict conventional topical drug bioavailability to less than 5% of the administered dose. Liposomal drug delivery systems have emerged as a clinically translatable platform capable of overcoming these barriers through targeted surface modification. This review provides a brief introduction to ocular barriers to drug delivery and transport and critically examines numerous surface-modification strategies applied to liposomal carriers to enhance corneal permeation and ocular bioavailability of drugs. It highlights the advantages and disadvantages of each modification strategy, as well as the convergent mechanism of liposomal surface modification in overcoming ocular barriers, and provides a comparative analysis of different surface-modification strategies of liposomes in terms of safety, efficacy and corneal retention. Additionally, it describes challenges associated with liposomal ophthalmic formulations in industrial scaling up. The review also sheds light on some FDA-approved liposomal ophthalmic products, active clinical trials on liposomal formulations, and relevant patents, demonstrating the potential benefits of liposomal drug delivery in the treatment of ocular disorders. Full article

Background: Transport remains one of the hardest sectors to decarbonize in the European Union, and the effectiveness of environmental taxation as a “polluter pays” instrument remains contested for the institutionally distinct Visegrad Four (V4) countries. Methods: Using a balanced panel of four V4 countries over 2000–2024 (n = 100 observations) from Eurostat, we estimate fixed-effects models with Driscoll–Kraay standard errors, complemented by two-way fixed effects, lag, interaction, and robustness specifications, including a sensitivity test for mechanical endogeneity. Results: GDP per capita and freight transport volume are positively associated with emissions (elasticities 0.244 and 0.230, both p < 0.001), while renewable energy share is negatively associated (−2.93%, p < 0.001). Environmental taxes show no significant association at any lag, and their positive association is strongest where highway infrastructure is least developed, disappearing where it is most developed. Freight transport remains the only robust driver once year effects are controlled for; a tax-to-freight intensity indicator reveals a significant three-year lag effect. Conclusions: Environmental taxation alone is not robustly associated with lower transport emissions in the V4; its association is conditional on infrastructure development and best complemented by renewable-energy investment. Findings should be read as descriptive associations rather than causal effects. Full article

Dissolving microneedles offers a minimally invasive approach for transdermal drug delivery by facilitating drug transport across the stratum corneum while overcoming several limitations associated with conventional routes of administration. Benzhydroxamic acid has demonstrated biochemical and computational evidence associated with inflammatory and pain-related pathways; however, its incorporation into a dissolving microneedle platform has not been extensively explored.This study aimed to fabricate and characterize benzhydroxamic acid-loaded dissolving microneedles using a 3D-printing-assisted mold fabrication approach for transdermal drug delivery. A stereolithography-based 3D-printed master mold was used to prepare a reverse polydimethylsiloxane mold. Benzhydroxamic acid-loaded dissolving microneedles were fabricated using a PVA/PVP polymeric matrix and evaluated for their physicochemical, mechanical, insertional, and drug-delivery characteristics. The developed microneedles exhibited shear-thinning behavior, uniform morphology, and satisfactory mechanical properties, with a compression force of 3.5 ± 0.01 N/needle and tensile strength of 3.84 ± 0.21 MPa. The formulation demonstrated a drug-loading efficiency of 94.6 ± 0.35% and effective insertion into the Parafilm^® M skin-simulant model. In vitro drug release reached 97.24% over 24 h, while ex vivo skin permeation reached 94.83% over 24 h. FTIR and XRD analyses indicated successful incorporation of benzhydroxamic acid into the PVA/PVP matrix without major evidence of drug–polymer incompatibility. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of incorporating benzhydroxamic acid into a PVA/PVP dissolving microneedle platform using a 3D-printing-assisted mold fabrication approach. The developed system exhibited suitable physicochemical and mechanical characteristics, efficient drug loading, effective insertion, and satisfactory in vitro and ex vivo drug-delivery performance, supporting its potential as a transdermal drug delivery platform. Full article

Background: Low maternal folate status is associated with placental dysfunction and adverse pregnancy outcomes; however, the mechanisms linking reduced folate availability to altered placental function remain incompletely understood. We investigated whether folate deficiency directly alters trophoblast function and microRNA (miRNA) expression, and whether folate-responsive miRNAs mediate these functional changes. Methods and Results: Human placental villous explants, BeWo choriocarcinoma cells, and primary human cytotrophoblasts were cultured under physiological or folate-deficient conditions to assess the direct impact of reduced folate availability. Although intracellular folate depletion was achieved in all models, only primary cytotrophoblasts reproduced functional changes consistent with those observed in placentas from folate-deficient pregnancies, exhibiting increased apoptosis and reduced system A amino acid transport. Of sixteen miRNAs previously associated with low maternal folate status, miR-30e-3p and miR-34b-5p were significantly reduced in trophoblast following folate depletion. Targeted inhibition of either miRNA did not alter apoptosis or system A activity. Pathway analysis of differentially expressed genes following miRNA inhibition identified processes related to cytoskeletal organisation, cell adhesion, PI3K/AKT and MAPK signalling. Conclusions: Folate deficiency directly impairs trophoblast survival, amino acid transport, and miRNA expression in primary trophoblasts. Our findings demonstrate that only a subset of folate-associated placental miRNAs respond directly to folate depletion and that inhibition of individual folate-responsive miRNAs is insufficient to reproduce the trophoblast phenotype. These results indicate that trophoblast adaptation to reduced folate availability is likely mediated through coordinated nutrient-sensitive regulatory networks rather than individual miRNAs acting in isolation. Full article

In high-water-cut inclined gathering pipelines, shutdown may lead to blockage due to the flotation and wall slip of gelled crude oil. This study investigates the slip behavior and critical conditions of gelled crude oil particles on an inclined pipe wall through visualization experiments, mechanical analysis, and the Extended Derjaguin–Landau–Verwey–Overbeek (XDLVO) theory and develops a method for calculating pipeline restart pressure. Experiments conducted using four crude oil samples identified three post-floating behaviors: adhesion, adhesion–slip, and bulk floating aggregation. The measured critical slip temperatures of samples 1#–4# were 33, 29, 36, and 37 °C, respectively, corresponding to 1–2 °C below their gel points. Adhesion represents a safe shutdown condition, whereas adhesion–slip and bulk floating aggregation indicate a risk of oil accumulation and blockage. When the temperature falls below the critical slip temperature, the gelled oil remains stably adhered to the pipe wall. A critical slip temperature prediction model was established using the gel point, oil–water density difference, and wax content as input parameters. The model produced absolute errors of 0.1–0.6 °C, with a mean absolute error of 0.4 °C. By coupling the Sukhov temperature-drop equation with the mechanical equilibrium equation, a restart-pressure calculation tool was developed. For two field restart cases, the predicted pressures showed relative errors of 6.45% and 7.70%, with a maximum absolute error of 0.06 MPa. The proposed method provides a preliminary quantitative tool for shutdown risk assessment, low-temperature transportation boundary determination, and restart-pressure estimation in high-water-cut inclined gathering pipelines. Full article

Floating vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) couple intrinsically unsteady rotor aerodynamics with the motions of their supporting platforms, producing complex temporal variations in power output, aerodynamic loads, and wake transport. A structured search of the Web of Science Core Collection and Scopus, supplemented by citation tracking, identified peer-reviewed studies published from database inception to 30 June 2026. The reviewed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) studies were classified as decoupled or fully coupled according to whether bidirectional feedback between the flow field and platform response was resolved. The evidence shows that motion-induced velocities alter blade-relative inflow and effective angle of attack, thereby modifying dynamic stall, loads, and wake evolution. Scaled testing is limited by the incompatibility between Froude and Reynolds similitude. Under identical pitch conditions, the mean power coefficient increased by 16.42% at full scale but decreased by 56.71% at 1:100 scale. Platform motion generally increases power and load fluctuations but may accelerate wake recovery; effects on mean performance remain configuration- and scale-dependent, so no universally optimal rotor-platform design has emerged. Overall, this review provides an integrated understanding of the effects of platform motion on the unsteady aerodynamics, load responses, and wake evolution of floating VAWTs, and clarifies the applicability of decoupled and fully coupled CFD methods to mechanism identification and system-level assessment. Full article

Capsicum chinense Jacq. is an economically important chili pepper species characterized by a high capsaicinoid content, which contributes to its growing relevance in the food, pharmaceutical, and agricultural sectors. Although the chemistry and biological properties of capsaicinoids have been extensively investigated, available information remains fragmented, and no review has comprehensively integrated their botanical aspects, chemistry, biosynthesis, and insecticidal potential. This review provides an integrated overview of the major capsaicinoids of C. chinense, particularly capsaicin, dihydrocapsaicin, and nordihydrocapsaicin, focusing on their chemical composition, biosynthetic pathways, structure–activity relationships, and insecticidal properties and mechanisms. Particular emphasis is placed on the relationship between chemical structure and biological activity, as well as on the role of capsaicinoids as natural defense compounds and their insecticidal potential. Current evidence indicates that capsaicinoids exhibit insecticidal, repellent, and antifeedant activities through multiple mechanisms, including membrane disruption, oxidative stress induction, and interference with ion transport and neuronal signaling. Despite these promising findings, further field validation, methodological standardization, and optimized formulations are required. Overall, this review integrates the currently dispersed evidence on C. chinense capsaicinoids and highlights their potential as bioactive compounds for the development of more sustainable botanical insecticides. Full article

Sustainable rural cultural tourism requires effective approaches to improving the visibility, accessibility, and decision feasibility of dispersed cultural resources, particularly in destinations where service information is fragmented across online and offline channels and tourists face substantial uncertainty in coordinating transport, accommodation, and cultural experiences. This study examines how artificial intelligence (AI) agents can support the sustainable digital transformation of rural cultural tourism by alleviating information asymmetry, releasing latent tourism demand, and facilitating calibrated human–machine trust. Drawing on human–machine trust theory and the Stimulus–Organism–Response framework, this study conceptualizes AI agent functionality through three dimensions: AI Information Quality (AIQ), Information Extensibility (IE), and AI Planning Autonomy (APA). Travel Planning Risk Awareness (TPRA), Human–Machine Trust (HMT), Planning Satisfaction (PS), Rural Cultural Tourism Attractiveness (RCTA), and Rural Cultural Tourism Intention (RCTI) are further incorporated into an integrated model comprising four pathways: information empowerment, autonomy–risk awareness tension, trust boundary, and demand release. Using the Ctrip AI Travel Assistant as the research context, 413 valid questionnaire responses were analyzed through a hybrid Structural Equation Modeling–Artificial Neural Network approach. The results support 12 of the 14 hypotheses. AIQ significantly influences IE (β = 0.530), PS (β = 0.304), and HMT (β = 0.380). HMT functions as a central mechanism connecting AI empowerment with tourism decision-making and exerts the strongest effect on RCTA (β = 0.485), reaching 100% normalized importance in the corresponding ANN model. TPRA positively affects HMT (β = 0.262), indicating that risk awareness can facilitate rational and calibrated trust rather than simply inhibiting AI acceptance. RCTA (β = 0.281) and PS (β = 0.218) jointly promote RCTI through the complementary mechanisms of destination pull and planning push. The findings demonstrate that AI agents can contribute to the sustainable development of rural cultural tourism by improving information accessibility, strengthening responsible human–AI collaboration, and transforming fragmented cultural resources into credible and actionable travel-planning options. This study provides implications for sustainable destination marketing, responsible AI travel-service design, rural revitalization, and the long-term development of rural cultural tourism, while clarifying trust as a psychological gate in AI empowerment. Full article

Against the backdrop of rapid development in marine engineering, the construction industry faces practical challenges, such as water scarcity, limited availability of natural river sand, and high raw material transportation costs. This has led to an increasing demand for resource-efficient concrete production technologies and improved construction economic efficiency. Seawater–sea-sand concrete (SWSSC) offers a locally sourced solution that effectively reduces the construction sector’s overreliance on freshwater and river sand, lowers material transportation costs for coastal infrastructure projects, and supports marine engineering and infrastructure development along the Belt and Road Initiative. However, existing research lacks systematic organization and visualized quantitative analysis. Utilizing the CiteSpace 7.0.R0 knowledge graph analysis software, this study selects 982 relevant papers published in the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection between 2016 and 2025 as the sample. By employing analytical methods—including annual publication volume statistics, collaboration networks among researchers, keyword co-occurrence patterns, and temporal evolution charts—we systematically delineate the overall research landscape, distribution of key research institutions, trends in research hotspots, and future frontier directions in this field. The analysis results indicate that: (1) The total number of publications in the global seawater–sand concrete field has been increasing year by year. From 2016 to 2018, it was the basic exploration period, with an average annual publication volume of less than 10. From 2019 to 2021, it was the deepening and expansion period, with research expanding from the performance of a single material to material modification and structural application. From 2022 to 2025, it was the rapid prosperity period, with the publication volume reaching its peak in 2024–2025 (208 articles and 203 articles), and the publication volume continued to rise. (2) China ranks first globally with 798 publications, but its centrality in international cooperation networks is only 0.24, reflecting low overall collaboration density and loose partnerships between institutions and authors, without the formation of cross-institutional core research teams with global leadership. (3) Research hotspots in this field primarily focus on material properties, durability characteristics, and mechanical strength, among which FRP reinforcement systems serve as a bridge for interdisciplinary research bridging material fundamentals and engineering applications, representing a key research branch. (4) From the perspective of evolutionary trends, the field exhibits three major developmental shifts from macroscopic mechanical performance characterization to in-depth investigation of microscopic damage mechanisms, from single-material studies to composite structural systems, and from short-term laboratory accelerated testing to full life-cycle performance evaluation, with the low-carbon potential of seawater–sand concrete increasingly becoming a prominent research focus. Therefore, this paper advocates strengthening international and inter-institutional academic collaboration, fostering multidisciplinary innovation, and prioritizing breakthroughs in key areas, such as large-scale intelligent performance prediction, long-term performance database development, and digital-twin-based operation and maintenance management, to facilitate the transition of seawater–sand concrete technology toward efficient, low-carbon, safe, and intelligent engineering applications. Full article

Climate change increasingly endangers precious indigenous sheep germplasm resources distributed across diverse Chinese landscapes, and systematically decoding their polygenic climate-adaptive genetic mechanisms is essential for targeted breed conservation and long-term sustainable pastoral production. Whole-genome resequencing data from 93 individuals covering six representative local sheep breeds were analyzed in this work. After filtering highly collinear climate variables, three mature landscape genomic approaches were jointly applied to identify environment-linked gene variants, while two predictive metrics across ten CMIP6 future climate scenarios quantified each breed’s long-term adaptive risks. Six temperature- and water-related environmental factors jointly drove sheep population genetic differentiation, with temperature fluctuation indices showing markedly stronger explanatory power. Detected adaptive genes were significantly enriched in ion transport, energy metabolism and cellular stress response pathways. Future projections indicated western breeds (Bayinbuluke, Cele Black, Xiahe) face severe maladaptation risks under high-emission SSP370 scenarios by 2100, whereas central and eastern breeds possess much broader climate tolerance. This study systematically reveals the core genomic basis of ovine climate adaptation and quantifies distinct breed-specific climate vulnerability, providing solid reliable theoretical support for precision germplasm conservation and selective breeding of climate-resilient sheep varieties. Full article