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Plant spacing modulates growth, yield and nutrient dynamics of sponge gourd under semi-arid conditions

Carbon budget of common urban tree species in an arid city based on life cycle assessment

Urban trees sequester and store carbon through photosynthesis, while their planting and maintenance processes consume energy and materials, resulting in the release of carbon back into the atmosphere. Therefore, a comprehensive and scientifically rigorous assessment of the net carbon sequestration capacity of landscape trees must account for both carbon uptake and emissions. In this study, three types of urban green spaces—parks, roadsides, and residential areas—were selected as research sites. Based on the life cycle assessment, biomass equation method and emission factor method, the life cycle carbon sequestration and carbon emissions of the main tree species in Shihezi City were calculated. The genotype main effect plus genotype-by-environment interaction (GGE) biplot and Pearson correlation analyses were employed to elucidate species–environment interactions across the three green space types and to identify management strategies for maximizing net carbon sequestration. The main findings were as follows: (1) The mean carbon storage per tree in parks (366.78 kgC tree -1 ) was significantly higher than that in roadsides (305.59 kgC tree -1 ) and residential green spaces (236.39 kgC tree -1 ), with Ulmus pumila exhibiting the highest per-tree carbon storage (595.39 kgC tree -1 ). (2) The order of carbon emissions in the whole life cycle is: park (461.15 kgC tree -1 )> roadside (395.48 kgC tree -1 )> residential area (283.65 kgC tree -1 ). Irrigation is the main emission source, accounting for more than 50% of the total carbon emissions in the whole life cycle. (3) Under current management practices, Ulmus pumila consistently maintained a positive life cycle carbon budget across all green space types, whereas some other large tree species showed positive carbon budgets only in specific green space types and had negative carbon budget in others. All small tree species exerted negative effects on the carbon sequestration function of urban green spaces across all three types of green space. Based on the findings of this study, strategies for low-carbon urban green space construction were proposed through enhancing carbon sequestration and reducing maintenance-related emissions.

Evaluation of carbon sustainable development in the nine provinces and regions of the Yellow River Basin based on carbon ecological footprints

Optimization of wind-solar-gas-storage integrated energy systems under the carbon and green certificate markets

This study investigates the optimization of wind-solar-gas-storage integrated energy systems (IES) under the dual-market mechanisms of carbon emission trading (CET) and green certificate trading (GCT). A unified analytical framework is developed to examine the techno-economic and environmental performance of IES within these combined market structures. The results indicate that the concurrent implementation of CET and GCT leads to a significant reduction in operational costs while simultaneously enhancing system sustainability. Through a series of scenario analyses, we explore the impact of price fluctuations in carbon and green certificate markets on system performance and compliance expenditures. Our findings indicate that the coordinated implementation of CET and GCT can significantly reduce the operating cost of integrated energy systems—by as much as 50.2%—while also effectively lowering carbon emissions by approximately 29.9%. An increase in the carbon price yields dual benefits of cost reduction and emission abatement, with a clearly identifiable economically efficient range between 0.05 and 0.20 CNY/kg. Although higher green certificate prices can further incentivize low-carbon operation, their marginal benefits tend to diminish beyond 80 CNY per certificate. These insights underscore the importance of integrated policy frameworks that leverage the synergistic effects of CET and GCT to optimize energy system performance. The study provides valuable guidance for policymakers, system operators, and stakeholders in the energy sector, highlighting the potential for strategic investments in these market mechanisms to achieve significant environmental and economic benefits.

Halogenation‐Regulated Electron‐Phonon Coupling Stabilizes Delocalized Excitation Toward High‐Performance Organic Solar Cells

ABSTRACT Non‐radiative energy loss remains a critical limitation to further improving the efficiency of organic solar cells (OSCs), as charge generation is typically governed by charge‐transfer (CT) states that intrinsically suffer from non‐radiative recombination. Intra‐moiety excitation (i‐EX), a delocalized excitation capable of dissociating within acceptor domains, provides an alternative pathway that can reduce CT‐mediated loss. However, its molecular regulation and intrinsic photophysical characteristics remain unclear. In this work, the competition between CT‐ and i‐EX‐mediated charge generation pathways is systematically regulated by halogen substitution, where enhanced i‐EX contribution suppresses CT‐related spin‐triplet recombination and substantially reduces non‐radiative energy loss. Increasing halogen atomic numbers from fluorine to iodine promotes i‐EX formation while suppressing CT participation. Reduced CT involvement diminishes spin‐triplet recombination, leading to decreased non‐radiative energy loss. Meanwhile, heavier halogen substitution weakens electron–phonon coupling and stabilizes delocalized excitations against vibration‐induced dissipation, enabling efficient i‐EX‐mediated charge generation at room temperature. By balancing i‐EX generation and CT processes, the brominated acceptor achieves 20.3% power conversion efficiency in binary OSCs and over 21% in ternary OSCs. This work reveals a clear structure‐property relationship for stabilizing delocalized excitations and minimizing energy loss toward high‐efficiency OSCs.

Social network isolation and cohesion and their association with HIV clustering among Black and Latino sexual minority men: implications for public health strategy

Abstract Evidence shows social networks shape HIV transmission by influencing partner access, behaviors, and health. Molecular cluster analysis offers insight into recent transmission, yet little is known about how network isolation or cohesion relate to clustering. This study examined social networks to identify factors associated with molecular HIV clustering. Data are from a cross-sectional study among Black and Latinx sexual minority men collected 2022–24 in Raleigh-Durham, NC. Participants nominated up to 20 friends and 20 sex partners. Other survey measures included age, gender, and socioeconomic status. Dyadic homophily was calculated using Jaccard similarity for race, STI status, drug use, and ethnicity. Network measures included the number of alters and a constraint score reflecting embeddedness. Molecular clusters were identified using pol sequences and nextHIV2. Ordinal logistic regression assessed associations with HIV status and cluster membership, adjusting for covariates. Among 100 participants (387 contacts), 60% were HIV-negative, 18% were people living with HIV (PWH) not in clusters, and 22% were PWH in clusters. Contact networks were sparse. Older age and more contacts were associated with cluster membership. Racial homophily increased odds of clustering, whereas larger networks, lower constraint, and greater STI negative status similarity reduced odds. Findings indicate that homophily and network structure are associated with HIV clustering and may inform HIV prevention strategies.

Pregelatinized green banana flour snack bars: Physicochemical properties, sensory quality, and gastroprotective potential in an ethanol-induced ulcer model

Peptic ulcers remain a recurrent gastrointestinal disorder requiring preventive nutritional strategies. Functional foods that promote gastrointestinal health may play an important role in preventing and managing peptic ulcers. In this study, we evaluated pregelatinized green banana flour (GBF) prepared by drum drying as a functional ingredient for developing snack bars with gastroprotective potential. The aim of this study was to systematically investigate how drum-drying pregelatinization influences the physicochemical and gastroprotective properties of GBF and to determine its suitability as a functional ingredient in the formulation of shelf-stable, consumer-acceptable snack bars. The pregelatinization process significantly reduced the moisture content and water activity, while improving water solubility index and swelling power. Snack bars formulated with 40% pregelatinized GBF (sPreF3) showed the most desirable sensory profile, achieving high hedonic scores for crunchiness (7.470 ± 0.860) and overall appearance (7.40 ± 0.93) on a 9-point scale. During six weeks of storage at 25 °C and 50–70% relative humidity, the product maintained stable moisture content (3.190–4.150%), low microbial counts (< 1.2 × 10² CFU/g), and consistent sensory acceptability. In vivo, both native GBF and pregelatinized GBF (1,000 mg/kg) significantly reduced ethanol-induced gastric ulcer area (0.020 ± 0.010 cm² and 0.090 ± 0.030 cm², respectively) compared with vehicle controls (0.410 ± 0.090 cm²; p < 0.05), while increasing gastric mucin levels (26–27 µg/g tissue) and pH (4.5–5.0). This finding indicates that pregelatinized GBF exhibits significant gastroprotective benefits and excellent functional and sensory qualities, supporting its potential application in gastrointestinal health–promoting snack formulations.

Offensive transitions in football as a decisive way to obtain goals in Top, Marginal and Emerging leagues

Optical coherence tomography angiography parameters in Marfan syndrome: Genetic determinants and associations with cardiovascular manifestations

In addition to aortic manifestations, Marfan syndrome can affect retinal vessels. Our aim was to evaluate retinal circulation, and its correlation with genotype and cardiovascular manifestation identifying predictors of aortic involvement (dilation and/or dissection). In the retrospective, cross-sectional study, 39 Marfan syndrome patients with optical coherence tomography angiography records were included. Retinal thickness, superficial and deep vessel density in total retina, fovea, parafovea, perifovea, area and perimeter of foveal avascular zone, fractal dimension were measured. Two groups were created by mutation type: haploinsufficient, dominant negative. Latter were divided into two subgroups according to whether mutation resulted in cysteine elimination. Subjects were assigned into cardiovascular risk based on previous aortic surgery. Retina of haploinsufficient patients was thinner in total, foveal, parafoveal, perifoveal areas compared to dominant negative subjects (p ≤ 0.047). Retinal thickness of haploinsufficient individuals was thinner in total, parafoveal areas compared to dominant negative without (LSD p = 0.038, Bonferroni p = 0.027, respectively) and with cysteine elimination variants (LSD p = 0.032, Bonferroni p = 0.002, respectively). In fovea and perifovea, retinal thickness was decreased in haploinsufficient patients in comparison to dominant negative with cysteine elimination group (Bonferroni p ≤ 0.029). Total, parafoveal, perifoveal superficial and total, parafoveal deep vessel density of subjects who underwent aortic surgery were lower compared to non-operated patients (p ≤ 0.043). To the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to describe a relationship between genotype and optical coherence tomography angiography parameters in Marfan syndrome. These findings along with correlations between genetics and cardiovascular manifestations reported previously, suggest that these parameters may be indirect predictors of increased cardiovascular risk. Here we demonstrated associations between these parameters and aortic involvement.

Research on the influencing factors and configurational pathways of the integration effectiveness of health and wellness and sports industries in China’s UNESCO Global Geoparks: a dynamic QCA analysis based on panel data

Exploring proteomic signatures in sepsis and non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome

Background The search for new biomarkers that allow an early diagnosis in sepsis has become a necessity in medicine. This study aims to identify protein biomarkers that differentiate sepsis from non-infectious systemic inflammatory response syndrome (NISIRS), addressing the need for early sepsis diagnosis. Methods Prospective observational study of a cohort of septic patients activated by the Sepsis Code and patients admitted with NISIRS, during the period 2016–2018. A mass spectrometry-based approach was used to analyze the plasma proteins in the enrolled subjects. Subsequently, using recursive feature elimination (RFE) classification and cross-validation with logistic regression, an association of these proteins in patients with sepsis compared to patients with NISIRS. The protein-protein interaction network was analyzed with String software. Results 275 patients were included (139 with sepsis and 136 with NISIRS. Plasma proteins were analyzed using mass spectrometry and evaluated through recursive feature elimination and cross-validation with a vector classifier. Twenty-five proteins showed statistically significant differences, with high diagnostic performance (sensitivity: 0.973, specificity: 0.920, accuracy: 0.960, AUC: 0.985). Fourteen proteins (VWF, PPBP, C5, C1RL, FCN3, SAA2, ORM1, ITIH3, GSN, C1QA, CA1, CFB, C3, LBP) were more associated with sepsis, while eleven (FN1, IGFALS, SERPINA4, APOE, APOH, C6, SERPINA3, AHSG, LUM, ITIH2, SAA1) were linked to NISIRS. The study found upregulation of several proteins in sepsis (C5, CFB, FCN3, PPBP, VWF, SAA2, ORM1, LBP) and downregulation of others (ITIH3, SERPINA4, AHSG). Conclusion These findings highlight distinct proteomic patterns between sepsis and NISIRS. Advances in understanding these protein changes may allow for the identification of new biomarkers in the future.

Hit a glitch in your research? Some ‘night science’ thinking could move it forward

Emergence of virulent ESBL-producing Escherichia coli in meat with human health implications and control using liposomal cinnamon, oregano, and clove within a One Health framework

Research on the comprehensive evaluation index system of social practice in Chinese universities based on the CIPP model

Social practice constitutes an essential aspect of talent development in higher education institutions, and the evaluation index system for social practice enables the quality of talent cultivation in these institutions to be determined. Grounded in the theoretical framework of the CIPP evaluation model, this study incorporates insights from 27 policy texts, core studies, and qualitative interview findings. It first identifies potential evaluation indicators for social practice, then gathers research samples via questionnaires and employs the Delphi method to assess the significance of these indicators. As a result, it establishes a social practice evaluation index system for higher education institutions, which includes four primary indicators, eleven secondary indicators, and thirty-seven tertiary indicators. Building upon this, the study utilizes the AHP to score the final evaluation index system and assign weights, thus completing the construction of the index system. The index system developed in this study not only concentrates on the process and scope of social practice activities, but also considers the internal and external factors that affect the implementation of social practice. Furthermore, it emphasizes the integration of formative and summative evaluations, offering valuable guidance for enhancing and improving social practice activities.

Daily briefing: The heart’s pumping motion seems to keep cancer at bay

Effectiveness of intracanal cryotherapy in reducing post-endodontic pain in irreversible pulpitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Resilient road safety modeling through spatially disaggregated explainable AI

Understanding spatial disparities in traffic accident severity is essential not only for improving transport safety but also for advancing sustainable and inclusive transportation systems. Road crashes represent a persistent public health and equity challenge, directly linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 3: Good Health and Well-Being and SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities). This study proposes an explainable, spatially segmented machine learning framework to examine urban-rural heterogeneity in crash outcomes, using disaggregated accident data from Kent, UK (2022–2024). By treating urban and rural systems as separate analytical units, the study captures risk heterogeneity that conventional pooled approaches often obscure. Among five tested models, Random Forest achieved the best performance and was further interpreted using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) to uncover how key factors differ in influence across spatial contexts. The results reveal a behavioral risk profile dominating in urban areas and infrastructure-driven risks in rural environments. These findings highlight the need for context-sensitive, evidence-based interventions that ensure transport equity across regions. Additionally, the study contributes to sustainable governance frameworks, enabling spatially adaptive risk mitigation, inclusive policy design and the long-term resilience of transport infrastructures.

Inside the evidence revolution — how decision-making became data driven

Highly efficient genome editing using CRISPR/Cas9 ribonucleoprotein in the marine oleaginous diatom Fistulifera solaris

Effect of psychoeducation in reducing caregiver burden among family caregivers of people with mental disorders in Western Ethiopia, 2021–2022: A pre-test post-test study

Background Family caregivers of individuals with mental disorders experience significant financial, emotional, and psychological burden, particularly in low-resource settings with limited access to formal mental health services. Although psychoeducation is an effective strategy for reducing caregiver burden, evidence from low- and middle-income countries, including Ethiopia, remains scarce. Objective To assess the effectiveness of a structured psychoeducation intervention in reducing caregiver burden among family caregivers of individuals with mental disorders attending Nekemte Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Nekemte Town, and Mettu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Mettu Town, Southwest Ethiopia. Methods A pretest–posttest quasi-experimental study with an intervention and a comparison group was conducted from March 2021 to February 2022 at Mettu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital and Nekemte Comprehensive Specialized Hospital in Oromia, Ethiopia. The sample size was determined using G*Power software, yielding a total of 556 family caregivers (intervention: n = 279; comparison: n = 277). Family caregivers were systematically sampled, with Mettu Karl Comprehensive Specialized Hospital assigned to the intervention group and Nekemte Comprehensive Specialized Hospital to the comparison group, which received routine care. The intervention consisted of six monthly structured group psychoeducation sessions. Caregiver burden was measured at baseline and post-intervention using the Zarit Burden Interview. The data were entered into SPSS version 25 for analysis. Intervention effects were assessed using linear mixed-effects models and difference-in-differences analysis. Ethical approval was obtained from the Institutional Review Board of Jimma University. Results There was a significant difference in mean caregiver burden scores between the intervention and comparison groups (p < 0.001). The intervention group demonstrated a significantly greater reduction in burden compared to the comparison group (DID =−4.32; 95% CI: −6.83, −1.81). After adjusting for socio-demographic and clinical factors, the linear mixed-effects model showed a significant reduction in caregiver burden among the intervention group (β =−5.65; 95% CI: −7.35, −3.95; p < 0.001). Conclusion The structured psychoeducation intervention was effective in reducing caregiver burden among families of individuals with mental disorders in Southwest Ethiopia. These findings support the integration of culturally appropriate psychoeducation programs into routine and community-based mental health services, particularly in resource-limited settings where family caregivers play a central role in patient care.