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This study addressed the following questions: How does continuous lighting (CL) impact plant physiology, and photosynthetic and stress responses? Does the impact of CL depend on the source of the light and other environmental factors (natural vs. artificial)? Do responses to CL differ for native and non-native plant species in the subarctic region and, if differences exist, what physiological reasons might they be associated with them? Experiments were conducted with three plants native to the subarctic region (Geranium sylvaticum L., Geum rivale L., Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch.) and three non-native plant species (Geranium himalayense Klotzsch, Geum coccineum Sibth. and Sm., Potentilla atrosanguinea Loddiges ex D. Don) introduced in the Polar-Alpine Botanic Garden (KPABG, 67°38′ N). The experimental groups included three species pairs exposed to (1) a natural 16 h photoperiod, (2) natural CL, (3) an artificial 16 h photoperiod and (4) artificial CL. In the natural environment, measurements of physiological and biochemical parameters were carried out at the peak of the polar day (at the end of June), when the plants were illuminated continuously, and in the second week of August, when the day length was about 16 h. Th experiments with artificial lighting were conducted in climate chambers where plants were exposed to 16 h or 24 h photoperiods for two weeks. Other parameters (light intensity, spectrum composition, temperature and air humidity) were held constant. The obtained results have shown that plants lack specific mechanisms of tolerance to CL. The protective responses are non-specific and induced by developing photo-oxidative stress. In climate chambers, under constant environmental conditions artificial CL causes leaf injuries due to oxidative stress, the main cause of which is circadian asynchrony. In nature, plants are not photodamaged during the polar day, as endogenous rhythms are maintained due to daily fluctuations of several environmental factors (light intensity, spectral distribution, temperature and air humidity). The obtained data show that among possible non-specific protective mechanisms, plants use flavonoids to neutralize the excess ROS generated under CL. In local subarctic plants, their photoprotective role is significantly higher than in non-native introduced plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME) is a set of methodologies utilized by researchers and engineers assisting the study of material behaviour during production processes and/or service. ICME aligns with societal efforts for the twin green and digital transitions while improving the sustainability and cost efficiency of relevant products/processes. A significant link of the ICME chain, especially for metallic materials, is the crystal plasticity (CP) formulation. This review examines firstly the progress CP has made since its conceptualization and secondly the relevant thematic areas of its utilization and portraits them in a concise and condensed manner. CP is a proven tool able to capture complex phenomena and to provide realistic results, while elucidating on the material behaviour under complex loading conditions. To this end, a significant number of formulations falling under CP, each with their unique strengths and weaknesses, is offered. It is a developing field and there are still efforts to improve the models in various terms. One of the biggest struggles in setting up a CP simulation, especially a physics-based one, is the definition of the proper values for the relevant parameters. This review provides valuable data tables with indicative values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable microplastics (Bio-MPs) are a hot topic in soil research due to their potential to replace conventional microplastics. Biofertilizers are viewed as an alternative to inorganic fertilizers in agriculture due to their potential to enhance crop yields and food safety. The use of both can have direct and indirect effects on rhizosphere microorganisms. However, the influence of the coexistence of "Bio-MPs and biofertilizers" on rhizosphere microbial characteristics remains unclear. We investigated the effects of coexisting biofertilizers and Bio-MPs on the structure, function, and especially the carbon metabolic properties of crop rhizosphere bacteria, using a pot experiment in which polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs) were used as a reference. The results showed that the existence of both microplastics (MPs) changed the physicochemical properties of the rhizosphere soil. Exposure to MPs also remarkably changed the composition and diversity of rhizosphere bacteria. The network was more complex in the Bio-MPs group. Additionally, metagenomic analyses showed that PE-MPs mainly affected microbial vitamin metabolism. Bio-MPs primarily changed the pathways related to carbon metabolism, such as causing declined carbon fixation/degradation and inhibition of methanogenesis. After partial least squares path model (PLS-PM) analysis, we observed that both materials influenced the rhizosphere environment through the bacterial communities and functions. Despite the degradability of Bio-MPs, our findings confirmed that the coexistence of biofertilizers and Bio-MPs affected the fertility of the rhizosphere. Regardless of the type of plastic, its use in soil requires an objective and scientifically grounded approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The oriental lily 'Casa Blanca' is one of the most popular and high-value flowers. The period for keeping these flowers refrigerated is limited. Therefore, forecasting the prices of oriental lilies is crucial for determining the optimal planting time and, consequently, the profits earned by flower growers. Traditionally, the prediction of oriental lily prices has primarily relied on the experience and domain knowledge of farmers, lacking systematic analysis. This study aims to predict daily oriental lily prices at wholesale markets in Taiwan using many-to-many Long Short-Term Memory (MMLSTM) models. The determination of hyperparameters in MMLSTM models significantly influences their forecasting performance. This study employs Optuna, a hyperparameter optimization technique specifically designed for machine learning models, to select the hyperparameters of MMLSTM models. Various modeling datasets and forecasting time windows are used to evaluate the performance of the designed many-to-many Long Short-Term Memory with Optuna (MMLSTMOPT) models in predicting daily oriental lily prices. Numerical results indicate that the developed MMLSTMOPT model achieves highly satisfactory forecasting accuracy with an average mean absolute percentage error value of 12.7%. Thus, the MMLSTMOPT model is a feasible and promising alternative for forecasting the daily oriental lily prices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, a kilowatt-level high-efficiency narrow-linewidth all-fiber Tm3+-doped continuous-wave laser operating at 1.95 μm is demonstrated. Benefitting from an advanced boost design of a two-stage main amplifier, it not only effectively manages heat dissipation resulting from the high pump-induced quantum defect but also realizes the controlled extraction of optical gain and improves the optical conversion efficiency. Finally, this laser system has realized an output power of 1018 W, a linewidth of 3.8 GHz, and a slope efficiency of 60.0% simultaneously. Moreover, a high optical signal-to-noise ratio of over 45 dB and excellent beam quality of M2 factors 1.19 are obtained. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the narrowest linewidth and highest slope efficiency achieved in a kilowatt-level Tm³⁺-doped fiber laser. Such a high-performance laser is ideally suited for mid-infrared generation and remote sensing applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hawthorn (Crataegus pinnatifida Bunge) has been highlighted as an excellent source of a variety of bioactive polymers, which has attracted increasing research interest. Pectin, as a kind of soluble dietary fiber in hawthorn, is mainly extracted by hot water extraction and ultrasonic or enzymatic hydrolysis and is then extensively used in food, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical industries. Numerous studies have shown that hawthorn pectin and its derived oligosaccharides exhibit a wide range of biological activities, such as antioxidant activity, hypolipidemic and cholesterol-reducing effects, antimicrobial activity, and intestinal function modulatory activity. As discovered, the bioactivities of hawthorn pectin and its derived oligosaccharides were mainly contributed by structural features and chemical compositions and were highly associated with the extraction methods. Additionally, hawthorn pectin is a potential resource for the development of emulsifiers and gelling agents, food packaging films, novel foods, and traditional medicines. This review provides a comprehensive summary of current research for readers on the extraction techniques, functional characteristics, structure–activity relationship, and applications in order to provide ideas and references for the investigation and utilization of hawthorn pectin and its derived oligosaccharides. Further research and development efforts are imperative to fully explore and harness the potential of hawthorn pectin-derived oligosaccharides in the food and medicine fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) image change detection suffers from poor quality of the difference image and low detection accuracy. Hence, this paper proposes a SAR image change detection method based on a fused difference image and an optimized random forest scheme, termed LRN‐SSARF. Specifically, a fusion operator difference image LRN is proposed, which is generated using a weighted fusion of log‐ratio (LR), ratio (R), and normalized ratio (NoR). This difference image generation method reduces noise's influence. Then, the Otsu algorithm is applied to segment the difference image and select the training samples. The training samples are input into the random forest (RF) model optimised by the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) for training and classification. Finally, the region link is uesd to refine the detection results and generate the final result. The change detection results of six real SAR image scenes highlight that the proposed algorithm has a high detection accuracy, and affords appealing integrity and detailed information about the change regions. Specially, the detection accuracy advantage of the Bangladesh dataset is larger, with the accuracy and Kappa coefficient reaching 98.04% and 92.00%, much higher than the competitor methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amyloid beta (Aβ) plays a major role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and, more recently, has been shown to protect against liver fibrosis. Therefore, we studied Aβ-42 levels and the expression of genes involved in the generation, degradation, and transport of Aβ proteins in liver samples from patients at different stages of metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease (MASLD) and under steatotic conditions in vitro/in vivo. Amyloid precursor protein (APP), key Aβ-metabolizing proteins, and Aβ-42 were analyzed using RT-PCR, Western blotting, Luminex analysis in steatotic in vitro and fatty liver mouse models, and TaqMan qRT-PCR analysis in hepatic samples from patients with MASLD. Hepatocytes loaded with palmitic acid induced APP, presenilin, and neprilysin (NEP) expression, which was reversed by oleic acid. Increased APP and NEP, decreased BACE1, and unchanged Aβ-42 protein levels were found in the steatotic mouse liver compared to the normal liver. Aβ-42 concentrations were low in MASLD samples of patients with moderate to severe fibrosis compared to the livers of patients with mild or no MASLD. Consistent with the reduced Aβ-42 levels, the mRNA expression of proteins involved in APP degradation (ADAM9/10/17, BACE2) and Aβ-42 cleavage (MMP2/7/9, ACE) was increased. In the steatotic liver, the expression of APP- and Aβ-metabolizing proteins is increased, most likely related to oxidative stress, but does not affect hepatic Aβ-42 levels. Consistent with our previous findings, low Aβ-42 levels in patients with liver fibrosis appear to be caused by the reduced production and enhanced non-amyloidogenic processing of APP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In high-tech areas such as nuclear fusion, aerospace, and high-performance tools, tungsten and its alloys are indispensable due to their high melting point, low thermal expansion, and excellent mechanical properties. The rise of Additive Manufacturing (AM) technologies, particularly Laser Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF), has enabled the precise and rapid production of complex tungsten parts. However, cracking and densification remain major challenges in printing tungsten samples, and considerable efforts have been made to study how various processing conditions (such as laser power, scanning strategy, hatch spacing, scan speed, and substrate preheating) affect print quality. In this review, we comprehensively discuss various critical processing parameters and the impact of oxygen content on the control of the additive manufacturing process and the quality of the final parts. Additionally, we introduce additive manufacturing-compatible W materials (pure W, W alloys, and W-based composites), summarize the differences in their mechanical properties, densification, and microstructure, and further provide a clear outlook for developing additive manufactured W materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The antioxidant activities of lycopene (LY), lutein (LU), chlorogenic acid (CA), and delphinidin (DP) were tested in vitro on H9c2 cell-based models. Some indicators, such as the generation of reactive oxygen (ROS), the quantification of cell antioxidant activity (CAA), and the expressions of SOD, GSH-Px, and CAT, were calculated to examine their antioxidant interactions. From our results, the phytochemical mixtures (M1: CA-LU: F3/10, M2: DP-CA: F7/10, M3: DP-LY: F5/10) displayed strong synergistic effects based on the generation of ROS and the quantification of CAA. However, great antagonistic bioactivities were seen in the combinations of LY-LU: F5/10 (M4), CA-LU: F9/10 (M5), and DP-LY: F7/10 (M6). Western blotting analysis indicated that the possible mechanism underlying the synergistic antioxidant interactions among phytochemical combinations was to enhance the accumulation of Nrf2 in the nucleus and the expression of its downstream antioxidant enzymes, HO-1 and GCLC. The combinations (M1–M3 groups) showed significant protection against the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential than individual groups to avoid excessive ROS production. The M4–M6 groups exerted antagonistic protective effects compared with the individual groups. In addition, lutein and lycopene absorption was improved more because of the presence of chlorogenic acid and delphinidin in the M1 and M3 groups, respectively. However, delphinidin significantly reduced the cellular uptake of lycopene in the M6 group. It appeared that antioxidant interactions of phytochemical combinations may contribute to the restoration of cellular redox homeostasis and lead to an improvement in diet quality and collocation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TeV haloes are a recently discovered class of very high energy gamma-ray emitters. These sources consist of extended regions of multi-TeV emission, originally observed around the two well-known and nearby pulsars, Geminga and PSR B0656+14 (Monogem), and possibly, with different degrees of confidence, around few more objects with similar age. Since their discovery, TeV haloes have raised much interest in a large part of the scientific community, for the implications their presence can have on a broad range of topics spanning from pulsar physics to cosmic ray physics and dark matter indirect searches. In this article, we review the reasons of interest for TeV haloes and the current status of observations. We discuss the proposed theoretical models and their implications, and conclude with an overlook on the prospects for better understanding this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dark photon is a new gauge boson beyond the Standard Model as a kind of dark matter (DM) candidate. Dark photon dark matter (DPDM) interacts with electromagnetic fields via kinetic mixing, implicating an approach to give a constraint with extragalactic very high energy (VHE) sources. In this work, we attempt to constrain the kinetic mixing from the photon-dark photon scattering process in the host galaxy of blazar, the intergalactic medium and the Milky Way. The VHE photons from a blazar would pass through a dense DM spike around the supermassive black hole where the absorption from DPDM is dramatically enhanced. The kinetic mixing is constrained to be ϵ ∼ 10 - 7 at a 95 % confidence level with m D ∼ 0.03 - 1 eV mass range from the observations of Markarian (Mrk) 421 and Mrk 501. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish gelatin (FG)-based wound dressings exhibit superior water absorption capacity, thermal stability, and gelation properties, which enhance the performance of these dressings. In this study, our objective was to investigate the conditions underlying the enzymatic hydrolysis of FG and subsequent cross-linking to prepare high-performance gels. A two-step enzymatic method of protease-catalyzed hydrolysis followed by glutamine transglutaminase (TGase)-catalyzed cross-linking was used to prepare novel high-performance fish gelatin derivatives with more stable dispersion characteristics than those of natural gelatin derivatives. Compared with conventional TGase cross-linked derivatives, the novel derivatives were characterized by an average pore size of 150 μm and increased water solubility (423.06% to 915.55%), water retention (by 3.6-fold to 43.89%), thermal stability (from 313 °C to 323 °C), and water vapor transmission rate, which reached 486.72 g·m−2·24 h−1. In addition, loading glucose oxidase onto the fish gelatin derivatives increased their antibacterial efficacy to >99% against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biocides are used to prevent microbiologically influenced corrosion (MIC), which damages and disables metal structures. However, biocides can make microorganisms resistant and contaminate the environment. Some studies have found that magnetic fields have an inhibitory effect on MIC, providing a new way of thinking for MIC control. In this paper, the current research status of MIC is discussed for typical anaerobic sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), the MIC of different metals in different environments is summarized, and the corrosion mechanism of SRB on metal structures, including cathodic depolarization and metabolite corrosion, is introduced. On this basis, the research progress of metal corrosion under magnetic field and microbial conditions in recent years is summarized, and discussed from three aspects, namely, electrochemical corrosion, SCC, and microbial corrosion, respectively. The corrosion process of microorganisms on metals in magnetic field is summarized, including biofilm theory, ion interference theory, free radical theory, and so on. Finally, the prevention and control of microbial corrosion by magnetic fields are prospected using the relevant mechanisms of magnetic field corrosion on metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Despite the clinical usefulness of tacrolimus in preventing organ transplant rejection, numerous studies have demonstrated its adverse effects in humans and animals. However, to date, no study has comprehensively addressed its toxicity toward zebrafish. Using various tests to assess the cardiovascular performance, various behaviors, and cognitive performance of the fish, we found that tacrolimus in relatively low concentrations altered the behaviors, social cohesion, and short-term memory of zebrafish in the larval and adult stages after acute and chronic exposures, respectively, with some alterations occurring in a dose-dependent manner. We hypothesize that tacrolimus may possess anxiotropic properties, which make it capable of modifying anxiety in the fish by affecting their nervous system. Nevertheless, considering the potential toxicity of tacrolimus, its usage, including in clinical applications, should be taken into account and monitored. Tacrolimus (FK506) is a common immunosuppressant that is used in organ transplantation. However, despite its importance in medical applications, it is prone to adverse side effects. While some studies have demonstrated its toxicities to humans and various animal models, very few studies have addressed this issue in aquatic organisms, especially zebrafish. Here, we assessed the adverse effects of acute and chronic exposure to tacrolimus in relatively low doses in zebrafish in both larval and adult stages, respectively. Based on the results, although tacrolimus did not cause any cardiotoxicity and respiratory toxicity toward zebrafish larvae, it affected their locomotor activity performance in light–dark locomotion tests. Meanwhile, tacrolimus was also found to slightly affect the behavior performance, shoaling formation, circadian rhythm locomotor activity, and color preference of adult zebrafish in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, alterations in the cognitive performance of the fish were also displayed by the treated fish, indicated by a loss of short-term memory. To help elucidate the toxicity mechanism of tacrolimus, molecular docking was conducted to calculate the strength of the binding interaction between tacrolimus to human FKBP12. The results showed a relatively normal binding affinity, indicating that this interaction might only partly contribute to the observed alterations. Nevertheless, the current research could help clinicians and researchers to further understand the toxicology of tacrolimus, especially to zebrafish, thus highlighting the importance of considering the toxicity of tacrolimus prior to its usage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogel has good biocompatibility, antibacterial performance, biodegradability, and other characteristics. It can be very compatible with human tissues and degradation, while its good water absorption and moisturizing properties can effectively absorb wound exudates, keep the wound moist, and promote wound healing. In this paper, the structural properties, and physical and chemical cross-linking preparation methods of cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogels were discussed in detail, and the application of cellulose-based hydrogels in the antibacterial field was deeply studied. In general, cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogels, as a new type of biomaterial, have shown good potential in antimicrobial properties and have been widely used. However, there are still some challenges, such as optimizing the preparation process and performance parameters, improving the antibacterial and physical properties, broadening the application range, and evaluating safety. However, with the deepening of research and technological progress, it is believed that cellulose-based antibacterial hydrogels will be applied and developed in more fields in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, a viability study is conducted for a bioremediation intervention in a cultivated area contaminated by a pipeline oil spill. In this context, green technologies such as bioremediation and phytoremediation could represent an optimal solution for reducing pollution without deteriorating soil quality. The phytoremediation test was conducted at the microcosm scale using three plant species (Zea mays, Lupinus albus and Medicago sativa) and at the mesocosm scale (Zea mays), also evaluating the application of plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB). The results showed that the selected plants, being able to grow satisfactorily, are able to lessen the presence of hydrocarbons in the soil. An increase of 15–18% in the degradation of the C > 12 fractions in vegetated soils was observed, confirming the effect of plants on the biodegradation of hydrocarbons in the soil. Moreover, a further improvement was recorded after adding PGPB, resulting in fresh biomass production being up to 50% higher than the controls and the degradation of the C > 12 fraction increasing by up to an additional 10%. Particular attention was also paid to pyrene, considered an indicator of PAH contamination. At the end of the experimentation in vegetated soils, pyrene removal reached values above 50%. By favoring plant growth, the addition of PGPB resulted in a further up to 20% reduction in the content of the contaminant in the soil. The primary role of the plants in soil contaminated by petroleum derivatives was to accelerate the degradation of contaminants through the stimulation of microbial activity. Therefore, the cooperation between plants and microorganisms can be concretely used as a nature-based solution in a sustainable and economical way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) is prevalent in the remote sensing field but is difficult to interpret by human visual perception. Recently, SAR-to-optical (S2O) image conversion methods have provided a prospective solution. However, since there is a substantial domain difference between optical and SAR images, they suffer from low image quality and geometric distortion in the produced optical images. Motivated by the analogy between pixels during the S2O image translation and molecules in a heat field, a thermodynamics-inspired network for SAR-to-optical image translation (S2O-TDN) is proposed in this paper. Specifically, we design a third-order finite difference (TFD) residual structure in light of the TFD equation of thermodynamics, which allows us to efficiently extract inter-domain invariant features and facilitate the learning of nonlinear translation mapping. In addition, we exploit the first law of thermodynamics (FLT) to devise an FLT-guided branch that promotes the state transition of the feature values from an unstable diffusion state to a stable one, aiming to regularize the feature diffusion and preserve image structures during S2O image translation. S2O-TDN follows an explicit design principle derived from thermodynamic theory and enjoys the advantage of explainability. Experiments on the public SEN1-2 dataset show the advantages of the proposed S2O-TDN over the current methods with more delicate textures and higher quantitative results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]