External Environmental Conditions Research Articles

Insights into the plankton community seasonal variations in a finer scale of the Bohai Sea: biodiversity, trophic linkage, and biotic-abiotic interplay

Plankton play an indispensable role in the biogeochemical processes of marine ecosystem. However, unraveling the intricate interactions among biodiversity, trophic linkages, and biotic-abiotic interplay between phytoplankton-zooplankton remains a significant challenge. Here, we conducted field studies in the neritic area of the Bohai Sea during autumn 2023 and spring 2024 to explore seasonal variations of both phytoplankton and zooplankton through microscope. Our analysis revealed a sharp decline in trophic interactions across phytoplankton and zooplankton, with an abundance ratio in autumn 2023 being 5.5 times higher than in spring 2024. Additionally, dominant plankton species (Y ≥ 0.02) exhibited obvious differences between the two seasons, with higher species diversity observed in autumn. Moreover, each dominant zooplankton species had distinct preferred food items in both seasons, with Rhizosolenia setigera being favored by Noctiluca scintillans and Acartia pacifica. Furthermore, a multivariate biota-environment analysis indicated that each dominant plankton species had unique correlation with specific environmental parameters, highlighting how plankton can fully exploit external environmental conditions to survive in seasonal variations. Ultimately, our findings emphasize significant seasonal dynamics and provide a solid foundation for assessing the potential impacts of environmental changes on plankton in coastal marine realm.

Effects of nutritional stress on soil fertility and antioxidant enzymes of rice in different growth periods

Stress in plants denotes the detrimental impact of alterations in external environmental conditions on regular plant growth and development. Plants employ diverse mechanisms to mitigate or evade nutritional stress-induced damage. In order to investigate the physiological response mechanism of plants to nutritional stress and assess its impact on soil nutrient content and antioxidant enzyme activity in rice, a field experiment was conducted applying five treatments: control, nitrogen (N) deficiency, phosphorus (P) deficiency, potassium (K) deficiency, and full fertilization. Rice leaf and soil samples were concurrently gathered during both the vegetative and reproductive growth stages of rice. Analysis was conducted on soil N, P, and K levels, as well as leaf antioxidant enzyme activities, to investigate the impact of nutrient stress on rice antioxidant enzymes and soil fertility. The research findings indicate that full fertilization treatment enhanced the agronomic properties of the soil compared to the control treatment. In the N-deficiency treatment, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels increased by 16.53–33.89% during the reproductive growth period compared to the vegetative growth period. The peroxidase (POD) activity decreased by 41.39% and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity increased by 36.22% under K-deficiency treatment during the reproductive growth period compared to the vegetative growth period. Consequently, applying N and P fertilizer during the vegetative growth period can decrease membrane lipid peroxidation levels by 7.34–72.53%. The full fertilization treatment markedly enhanced rice yield compared to other treatments and increased the Nitrogen activation coefficient (NAC) and Phosphorus activation coefficient (PAC) in the soil, while decreasing the PAC. Elevating NAC levels can stimulate the activity or content of PRO, MDA, and RPS during the vegetative growth stage, whereas in the reproductive growth stage, it will decrease the content of ROS, PRO, and MDA. This data offers valuable insights and theoretical support for nutritional stress research.

Analytical modelling techniques for efficient broadband noise prediction of high-speed trains

Analytical modelling techniques are presented for broadband noise prediction of high-speed trains. For interior noise problems, train body structures are modelled exactly by the dynamic stiffness method (DSM); whereas the interior acoustic cavities of the train body are modelled by the SDSM where the boundary conditions are described by modified Fourier series with a rapid convergence rate. Finally, the vibro-acoustic coupling model of the train body structures is constructed. For exterior noise problems, exterior train noise models are first formed by experimental data considering the Doppler effect; then both the DSM and theoretical attenuation formulas are used to build noise radiation models for different external environment conditions. The performance of the method is evaluated by predicting the interior sound field distribution of typical cross sections of the train body and the external radiated noise in a tunnel, or in an environment where the acoustic barrier or buildings along railways exist. Numerical results are in good agreement with the those obtained by the finite element method. Thus, the proposed methods can achieve broadband noise prediction highly accurately and efficiently, which can also serve as the benchmark for predicting the radiated noise generated by high‐speed trains.

Ecosystem of structural and technological development: restarting growth of firms and entrepreneurial factor

The article examines the problem of structural and technological development of the Russian economy in conditions of an unfavorable external environment. In the context of the digital transformation of the economy at the micro level, several areas of the structural and technological development can be distinguished: generation of new business, accelerated development of successful (growing) enterprises, transition to restarting growth of enterprises that have been showing declining sales for a long time. The purpose of the work is to study the restarting growth of firms. The article assesses its economic results and also explores the influence of the entrepreneurial factor on the transition of enterprises to the restarting growth. The full sample consists of 2 918 enterprises that have been demonstrating a decline in revenue for a long time. This sample has been divided into groups of organisations that show and do not show the restarting growth. Using economic and mathematical methods, we have assessed the rate of revenue growth and examined the influence of the enterprise manager’s personality on the transition to the growth in the context of formed groups of companies. The paper has found that firms with the restarting growth show high rates of revenue growth that exceed its decline during the problematic period. The best results are demonstrated by a group of enterprises with the long-term rapid growth. Consequently, enterprises with the restarting growth can be considered as one of the options for the structural and technological development of the Russian economy along with the generation of new firms and development of growing enterprises. It has been proven that one of the growth factors is human capital, namely the head of the organization (entrepreneurial factor). Manager replacement has occurred more frequently in the group of enterprises with the long-term restarting growth compared to the group of enterprises that have not shown it. We believe that new leaders have initiated processes of digital and technological transformation of the business that lead to long-term growth.

Attachment security, environmental adversity, and fast life history behavioral profiles in human adolescents

Abstract One species-general life history (LH) principle posits that challenging childhood environments are coupled with a fast or faster LH strategy and associated behaviors, while secure and stable childhood environments foster behaviors conducive to a slow or slower LH strategy. This coupling between environments and LH strategies is based on the assumption that individuals’ internal traits and states are independent of their external surroundings. In reality, individuals respond to external environmental conditions in alignment with their intrinsic vitality, encompassing both physical and mental states. The present study investigated attachment as an internal mental state, examining its role in mediating and moderating the association between external environmental adversity and fast LH strategies. A sample of 1169 adolescents (51% girls) from 9 countries was tracked over 10 years, starting from age 8. The results confirm both mediation and moderation and, for moderation, secure attachment nullified and insecure attachment maintained the environment-LH coupling. These findings suggest that attachment could act as an internal regulator, disrupting the contingent coupling between environmental adversity and a faster pace of life, consequently decelerating human LH.

Experimental study of a high-power generation platform for ocean thermal energy conversion

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion (OTEC) is a form of power generation that utilizes the temperature difference between the upper and lower layers of the ocean. This paper presents the design and construction of a land-based experimental platform for OTEC using R134a as the working fluid. Through experimental research, we investigated the performance of the thermal energy cycle system under varying external environmental conditions, such as temperature and flow rate. The results show that the net output power of the system increases with the temperature and flow rate of the warm seawater. Similarly, an increase in the cold seawater temperature and flow rate leads to an increase in net output, though the increase is less significant at higher power levels when compared to changes in warm seawater conditions. Adjusting the evaporation pressure to increase the turbine inlet and outlet pressure difference initially increases the output power but then remains constant. The highest recorded output power during testing was 48kW, with the turbine achieving an isentropic efficiency of 80%, and the maximum system efficiency reached 2%. This study provides theoretical basis and empirical data for system design, which can promote the application in the field of OTEC and contribute to the development of renewable energy.

Renewable insulation panels made with Cynodon dactylon grass for building applications: Physical, mechanical, acoustic, and thermal properties

This paper presents a pilot study investigating the manufacturing process and properties of novel bio-based materials intended for insulation in building walls. Panels with a thickness of 20mm were fabricated by mixing grass, water, and potato starch, followed by pressing and heating. Various combinations of coarse, medium, and fine Cynodon dactylon particles, along with three starch-to-water ratios (1:3, 1:4, and 1:5), were explored. The panels underwent characterization in terms of density, quasi-static compressive behavior, quasi-static flexural strength, high-strain compressive strength, sound absorption coefficient, thermal conductivity, and degradation under external environmental conditions. Results indicate that density is influenced by particle size and micro-structure arrangement, while static compressive stiffness is affected by both particle size and starch-to-water ratio. The panels exhibit low damage and effective dissipation under compressive high-strain deformation. The sound absorption test reveals superior capabilities (Class III of ISO 11654:1997) due to the porous structure. Thermal conductivity values ranging from 0.075 to 0.092 Wm−1K−1 support the application as a thermal insulation material. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that reducing particle size and increasing starch-to-water ratio enhance mechanical properties while slightly diminishing acoustic and thermal performance. Under external environmental conditions, the panels lasted more than 1 months, demonstrating acceptable resistance to rain and humidity. Comparative analysis with other natural bio-based materials shows that Cynodon dactylon-starch panels possess similar or superior physical, mechanical, acoustic, and thermal characteristics. These findings suggest that these panels could serve as environmentally friendly alternatives in the insulation materials sector within the building industry.

The effectiveness of phosphine fumigation of wheat in a farm-scale thermosyphon silo

Fumigation of pests is essential for maintaining the quality of stored grain. Rapid and effective pest control is the key to minimise damage to the valuable grain. The current study investigated the efficiency of a farm-scale thermosyphon silo to passively circulate phosphine fumigant gas by measuring the phosphine concentrations at a series of points throughout the silo. A 50 tonne sealable grain silo with an external thermosyphon was fitted with gas sampling lines at three different levels in the grain body, and also in the headspace. The grain was fumigated with phosphine gas 12 times over a 12 month period to contrast the thermosyphon system efficiency under varied external environmental conditions. The minimum fumigation standards of 200 ppm for 10 days or 300 ppm for 7 days were reached and exceeded in all fumigation cycles throughout the year in 12.5–22 days, demonstrating the effectiveness of the thermosyphon system. In addition, the final fumigation was held until the phosphine concentration dropped to 200 ppm. The silo reached 200 ppm only four days after fumigation, reached a maximum of approximately 600 ppm after 30 days, and did not fall below 200 ppm until 106 days after fumigation. Linear air velocity in the was also measured in the thermosyphon pipe and showed that airflow could reach as high as 2.7 m/s, but flow was sporadic and not consistent, most likely due to pressure build up on the headspace of the silo due to resistance to airflow by the bulk grain body. Temperature and humidity results indicated that while both parameters are fundamental in the production of phosphine from aluminium phosphide tablets, they work against each other. This provides an effective control mechanism that prevents the rapid production of phosphine, thereby reducing the buildup of phosphine and reducing the risk of an explosion.

Exploring the Role of the Processing Body in Plant Abiotic Stress Response.

The processing body (P-Body) is a membrane-less organelle with stress-resistant functions. Under stress conditions, cells preferentially translate mRNA that favors the stress response, resulting in a large number of transcripts unfavorable to the stress response in the cytoplasm. These non-translating mRNAs aggregate with specific proteins to form P-Bodies, where they are either stored or degraded. The protein composition of P-Bodies varies depending on cell type, developmental stage, and external environmental conditions. This review primarily elucidates the protein composition in plants and the assembly of P-Bodies, and focuses on the mechanisms by which various proteins within the P-Bodies of plants regulate mRNA decapping, degradation, translational repression, and storage at the post-transcriptional level in response to ethylene signaling and abiotic stresses such as drought, high salinity, or extreme temperatures. This overview provides insights into the role of the P-Body in plant abiotic stress responses.

Intelligent mission planning for autonomous distributed satellite systems

System autonomy plays a critical role in the success of next generation Distributed Satellite Systems (DSS) mission architectures, enabling the inference of external and internal environment conditions to support system adaptation in unexpected and unfamiliar situations. Artificial Intelligence (AI) based techniques show promise in achieving this desired self-adaptive capability by offering on-board predictive real time analytics, supporting an evolution towards Trusted Autonomous Satellite Operations (TASO). In parallel, TASO requires an evolution of the control and coordination of increasingly autonomous large scale DSS, achieved in the design and operation of intelligent Mission Planning Systems (MPS). In this paper, we focus on intelligent mission planning functionality problem utilising a distributed ant colony optimisation approach to achieve local task allocation and platform coordination. The approach is implemented in the context of a Space-Based Space Surveillance (SBSS) mission architecture that considers self-adaptive capabilities, global coordination and supervisory control aspects. The effectiveness of the approach is shown, demonstrating that the proposed solution based on metaheuristics supports an efficient and pervasive SBSS capability.

Classification of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles Based on Acoustic Signals Obtained in External Environmental Conditions.

Detection of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and their classification on the basis of acoustic signals recorded in the presence of UAVs is a very important source of information. Such information can be the basis of certain decisions. It can support the autonomy of drones and their decision-making system, enabling them to cooperate in a swarm. The aim of this study was to classify acoustic signals recorded in the presence of 17 drones while they hovered individually at a height of 8 m above the recording equipment. The signals were obtained for the drones one at a time in external environmental conditions. Mel-frequency cepstral coefficients (MFCCs) were evaluated from the recorded signals. A discriminant analysis was performed based on 12 MFCCs. The grouping factor was the drone model. The result of the classification is a score of 98.8%. This means that on the basis of acoustic signals recorded in the presence of a drone, it is possible not only to detect the object but also to classify its model.

Long term environmental safety evaluation of incineration fly ash and its use as admixture after freeze-thaw

Extensive research has been conducted on the short-term performance of incineration fly ash resource utilization. However, research on the long-term leaching characteristics of heavy metals under external environmental conditions is limited. Therefore, the frost resistance of cement prepared with incineration fly ash as an admixture focused on the leaching characteristics of heavy metals from incineration fly ash and mortar after freeze-thaw were studied by XRD, MIP, SEM, and ICP-MS. The results showed that after 100 freeze-thaw cycles, Cd (HJ 299–2007) in incineration fly ash leached heavy metals exceeding 42.07 % of the GB 18598-2019 limit value. 5 % incineration fly ash enhanced the compressive strength of cement, but exceeding 5 % led to a decrease in compressive strength. After freeze-thaw, incineration fly ash increased the mortar mass loss, strength loss, and porosity. The leaching concentration of heavy metals from incineration fly ash increased under three environment, with the leaching concentration of Ni (HJ 300–2007) after 200 freeze-thaw and the leaching concentration of Cd exceeding 2323.87 % of the limit of GB 16889-2008. Although the concentration of heavy metals in mortar increased with the number of freeze-thaw, the leaching concentration was only 1.73 % of the standard limit, posing no risk of exceeding the limit. Therefore, resource utilization could effectively mitigate the leaching of heavy metals from incineration fly ash under external environmental conditions.

The impact of methylparaben and chlorine on the architecture of Stenotrophomonas maltophilia biofilms

The biofilm architecture is significantly influenced by external environmental conditions. Biofilms grown on drinking water distribution systems (DWDS) are exposed to environmental contaminants, including parabens, and disinfection strategies, such as chlorine. Although changes in biofilm density and culturability from chemical exposure are widely reported, little is known about the effects of parabens and chlorine on biofilm morphology and architecture. This is the first study evaluating architectural changes in Stenotrophomonas maltophilia colony biofilms (representatives of bacterial communities presented in DWDS) induced by the exposure to methylparaben (MP) at environmental (15 μg/L) and in-use (15 mg/L) concentrations, and chlorine at 5 mg/L, using widefield epi-fluorescence mesoscopy with Mesolens. The GFP fluorescence of colony biofilms allowed the visualization of internal structures and Nile Red fluorescence permitted the inspection of the distribution of lipids. Our data show that exposure to MP triggers physiological and morphological adaptation in mature colony biofilms by increasing the complexity of internal structures, which may confer protection to embedded cells from external chemical molecules. These architectural modifications include changes in lipid distribution as an adaptive response to MP exposure. Although chlorine exposure affected colony biofilm diameter and architecture, the colony roundness was completely affected by the simultaneous presence of MP and chlorine. This work is pioneer in using Mesolens to highlight the risks of exposure to emerging environmental contaminants (MP), by affecting the architecture of biofilms formed by drinking water (DW) bacteria, even when combined with routine disinfection strategies.

Ecological filtering drives rapid spatiotemporal dynamics in fish skin microbiomes.

Skin microbiomes provide vital functions, yet knowledge about the drivers and processes structuring their species assemblages is limited-especially for non-model organisms. In this study, fish skin microbiome was assessed by high throughput sequencing of amplicon sequence variants from metabarcoding of V3-V4 regions in the 16S rRNA gene on fish hosts subjected to the following experimental manipulations: (i) translocation between fresh and brackish water habitats to investigate the role of environment; (ii) treatment with an antibacterial disinfectant to reboot the microbiome and investigate community assembly and priority effects; and (iii) maintained alone or in pairs to study the role of social environment and inter-host dispersal of microbes. The results revealed that fish skin microbiomes harbour a highly dynamic microbial composition that was distinct from bacterioplankton communities in the ambient water. Microbiome composition first diverged as an effect of translocation to either the brackish or freshwater habitat. When the freshwater individuals were translocated back to brackish water, their microbiome composition converged towards the fish microbiomes in the brackish habitat. In summary, external environmental conditions and individual-specific factors jointly determined the community composition dynamics, whereas inter-host dispersal had negligible effects. The dynamics of the microbiome composition was seemingly non-affected by reboot treatment, pointing towards high resilience to disturbance. The results emphasised the role of inter-individual variability for the unexplained variation found in many host-microbiome systems, although the mechanistic underpinnings remain to be identified.

Building Performance Strategy to Achieve Thermal Comfort on Post-Disaster Design

Purpose: This study is a development of previous studies that focused on testing building performance from the aspect of building comfort. A house is a place to live that is used daily that must meet the needs of the occupants' thermal comfort which is greatly influenced by environmental and building conditions, such as natural lighting, air flow, and thermal performance as well as the conditions of the building's orientation layout and space openings. To determine the thermal performance of a building, it is necessary to conduct several analyses of several parameters of air temperature, air circulation and thermal conditions that occur in buildings in several conditions of building layout or orientation and openings made. Theoretical reference: Adaptive buildings are buildings that have adaptation to external environmental conditions, occupant needs and building operational conditions with the aim of increasing energy efficiency, comfort and sustainability. These adaptive buildings are able to provide a more comfortable environment, flexible and efficient space by maximizing natural ventilation and using building materials that function as insulation against temperature and solar radiation. Method: To determine the thermal comfort conditions of the building, it is necessary to conduct several tests on several parameters, such as natural lighting, air flow, and thermal performance using several analyzes such as solar analysis, air movement analysis and thermal analysis of the planned building prototype with several alternative building orientations. To test the thermal performance of the building, solar analysis and thermal analysis are carried out using Revit-based computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Results and Conclusions: The results of the study showed that the influence of building orientation and opening placement patterns will produce several different thermal performances. And the optimal results obtained from this adaptive strategy were that the optimal heat generated caused heat generation in the envelope of 0.76 kW/m2, meaning that by considering the heat transfer value of the building envelope not exceeding 35 W/m2 (SNI 6389:2020), a wall envelope made of 10 cm thick calciboard with air holes was used to withstand the rate of heat flow into the room. Research implications: As part of the adaptive building context that supports the field of knowledge and practice in the fields of architecture, engineering and the environment, it has positive implications related to the flexibility of spatial arrangement to adjust to the needs of occupants' space, the use of more efficient and environmentally friendly building technology and materials according to the needs of adaptive buildings, and the adjustment of natural ventilation strategies according to local climate potential. Originality/value: The components that distinguish this research from previous research can be seen from the various approaches and innovations carried out by the author, namely: Adaptive Design Method: developing the functionality of spatial arrangements in post-disaster residential buildings that apply the principles of spatial efficiency and arrangement to improve more dynamic relationships between spaces and their relationships with the surrounding environment. Use of New and Data-based Technology: applying new technology in ways to monitor and control the quality of space with the surrounding environment that affects it in real-time. Using technology applications for data analysis, modeling and predicting the performance of post-disaster residential buildings according to environmental and building parameters that affect them, and using big data analysis to understand the thermal behavior of buildings to optimize building design and operations.

Infrared radiation characteristics simulation of exhaust suppression type ships

An equivalent calculation method for the infrared-suppressed ship’s infrared radiation is carried out, which couples thermal characteristics of the ship surface and the exhaust system. Firstly, a refined physical model for the infrared suppressed exhaust system is proposed, which considers the processes of convective heat transfer and radiative heat transfer. The model generates the equivalent heat flow boundary conditions of the internal heat source through the numerical calculation of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), and combines with the energy balance physical model. The energy balance model on the ship surface is developed, which considers external thermal environment conditions including itself radiation, solar radiation, atmospheric radiation, and reflective radiation among surface elements. The temperature calculation model for the ship with a jet exhaust system is formed. Subsequently, an exhaust-suppressed ship infrared radiation calculation model is formed based on the infrared radiation rendering of solid targets and the narrow spectral principle of exhaust plumes, which considers the spontaneous radiation and environmental radiation of ships. Finally, the infrared simulation results are compared and verified based on experimental data. The results indicate that the infrared radiation error on the ship’s typical parts is less than 30 %. Additionally, 90.1 % of the cabin walls using exhaust suppression systems have a temperature difference of less than 3 K under different operating conditions. It suggests that the exhaust suppression system is effective in reducing the temperature of the cabin wall. The calculation method for ship infrared characteristics constructed in this paper has reasonable results, and it can be used for infrared characteristic analysis of exhaust suppression ships.

Self-Powered Wearable Pressure Sensor System for Smart Healthcare Applications

Wearable sensors mark a groundbreaking advancement in the realm of health monitoring technology. However, traditional wearable devices lack comprehensive solutions for tracking sports exercise behaviors and providing feedback on rehabilitation for those undergoing home-based recovery. To bridge this gap, a self-powered triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)-based wearable sensing system has been developed with in-house monitoring capabilities. The wearable sensor system is composed of triboelectric pressure sensors with an electro-conductive silicone sheet and patterned Ecoflex film as the contact layers. Highly sensitive TENG sensors have been successfully embedded into a bicycle saddle and human shoe insole for real-time pressure monitoring. Experimental results demonstrate that biomechanical energy, originating from both the pelvic-saddle interactions on bicycle and human gait movements, has been successfully converted into electrical energy. The generated sensor voltage remains stable under frequency variations and external environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity variations. Utilizing distinctive information contained in individual body mass imbalances and gait characteristics, a smart healthcare monitoring system is envisioned to extract essential biomechanical insights via artificial intelligence, facilitating a pivotal role in in-house monitoring and tracking of sports rehabilitation exercises. The as-designed low-cost, highly scalable self-powered wearable sensor system offers an accessible, user-friendly point-of-care solution for gait detection and rehabilitation monitoring for individuals with various physical impairments, with considerable potential for commercialization. Figure 1

Auto-luminescence in seedlings: possible indicators for the gravimetric tide?

Germinating seedlings emit light in the visible range spontaneously, and these emissions are related to metabolism and reactive-oxygen species (ROS) processes. Several series of germination tests had such biological auto-luminescence (BAL) recorded in controlled conditions, fostering applications for the non-invasive, real-time evaluation of a seedling’s germinability and vigor when submitted to chemical and/or physical perturbations. However, long-term analysis of the BAL time-series of control samples conducted in different locations around the globe reveals that their BAL signals (and thus their metabolism) appear to follow the local gravimetric tide (g-tide) time profile. This indicates that the small daily and monthly variations in gravity acceleration due to the relative positioning of the Sun and Moon with respect to the Earth’s surface influence these signals. The gravimetric tide is a natural phenomenon that affects all things, fluid or solid, and is an uncontrollable variable in normal laboratory settings on Earth’s crust. All things on Earth have evolved under these pervasive cycles, with periods ranging from ∼12.2 h up to 28 d, which correspond to the Moon cycle. Tide-like cycles occur in living beings of different types, from the simplest bacteria to the most complex human beings, and we speculate that water availability at the molecular level could be a significant physical factor in modulating bio-activity by enabling protein folding and all metabolic pathways that require a synchronized organization to adapt to external environmental conditions. In this study, we summarize published results of a seedling’s BAL with cycle patterns resembling the g-tide in Limeira/BR, Prague/CZ, Leiden/NL, and Hamamatsu/JP and discuss the possible implications of this phenomenon for chronobiological studies.

Genome-Wide Identification, Expression, and Interaction Analysis of the Auxin Response Factor and AUX/IAA Gene Families in Vaccinium bracteatum.

Auxin, a plant hormone, plays diverse roles in the modulation of plant growth and development. The transport and signal transduction of auxin are regulated by various factors involved in shaping plant morphology and responding to external environmental conditions. The auxin signal transduction is primarily governed by the following two gene families: the auxin response factor (ARF) and auxin/indole-3-acetic acid (AUX/IAA). However, a comprehensive genomic analysis involving the expression profiles, structures, and functional features of the ARF and AUX/IAA gene families in Vaccinium bracteatum has not been carried out to date. Through the acquisition of genomic and expression data, coupled with an analysis using online tools, two gene family members were identified. This groundwork provides a distinguishing characterization of the chosen gene families in terms of expression, interaction, and response in the growth and development of plant fruits. In our genome-wide search of the VaARF and VaIAA genes in Vaccinium bracteatum, we identified 26 VaARF and 17 VaIAA genes. We analyzed the sequence and structural characteristics of these VaARF and VaIAA genes. We found that 26 VaARF and 17 VaIAA genes were divided into six subfamilies. Based on protein interaction predictions, VaIAA1 and VaIAA20 were designated core members of VaIAA gene families. Moreover, an analysis of expression patterns showed that 14 ARF genes and 12 IAA genes exhibited significantly varied expressions during fruit development. Two key genes, namely, VaIAA1 and VaIAA20, belonging to a gene family, play a potentially crucial role in fruit development through 26 VaARF-IAAs. This study provides a valuable reference for investigating the molecular mechanism of fruit development and lays the foundation for further research on Vaccinium bracteatum.

A novel dynamic predictive control model for variable air volume air conditioning systems using deep learning

Model-based predictive control has proven effective for managing indoor temperature and humidity in variable air volume (VAV) air conditioning systems. However, delays in temperature and humidity adjustments in response to changes in internal and external environmental conditions can impede high-performance operation. This study introduces a dynamic predictive control model for the multi-zone indoor temperature and humidity of VAV systems, designed to predict and control these parameters in real-time. Utilizing the RC network two-node wall structure method and backward finite difference scheme, a multi-zone building model is developed. Coupled with a deep fuzzy cognitive map (DFCM) for temperature and humidity prediction, and controlled by a PID controller, the model dynamically regulates the opening degrees of terminal air dampers and chilled water valves. Implemented on a networked control platform in a large commercial building, the model consistently maintained indoor temperature and humidity within ±0.5 °C and ±0.1 g/(kg dry air) of the target values under varying conditions, demonstrating substantial improvements in stability and operational efficiency. The research enhances the predictability and control of HVAC systems through advanced algorithmic integration, improving real-time indoor climate management in complex building environments. This method offers a practical improvement in HVAC control technologies, which could be beneficial for applications in commercial building management systems, providing a useful tool for supporting energy efficiency and sustainability in modern infrastructures.